Stages: Never
by BregoBeauty
Summary: Sequel to Always... The daughter of Jackson Rippner learns the truth about her family and how to cope with insanity. Part Three of the 'Stages' Trilogy. EDITED on July 25th, 2006
1. Prologue

**Never…**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything related to _Red Eye_ or _Batman Begins_!

**Summary:** (Sequel to _Always…_) Sixteen years have passed since the fear toxin was released. Jonathan's moved on and created a life elsewhere, using Lisa and Amy to create the image of a 'family man'. Now, when they return to Gotham, Jonathan's past is catching up to them as the truth unravels in front of Amy.

**Prologue**

Amy Alison Crane was no stranger to insanity. Although she did not know it, her birth father, Jackson Rippner, had been a smooth-talking psychopath. Her mother had been driven insane by both her fathers, even though her adoptive father was more adept at hiding it.

Now, Dr. Jonathan Crane, her uncle—yet, he had elevated himself to being her father and effective hid the existence of his brother—was as disturbed as some of the patients that he treated. She had known he was insane for years. How could anyone, no matter how brilliant they were; work in a nuthouse such as Arkham Asylum, where he had once been the Director many years earlier, and still remain sane? But her biggest problem was her mother's blindness to Crane. Lisa worshiped him and the ground he walked upon.

It was no surprise when Amy's illusion of a perfect world came crashing down, thanks to efforts of a determined father and the last 'good' cop in Gotham. Jackson Rippner, her long-dead father, ended up working opposite Jim Gordon to bring Jonathan Crane down for good and help her learn the hidden truth.

**Author's Notes:**

Just a short teaser. A real chapter should be up tomorrow. I have it written, but I still need to type it up and the last two days have been busy for me. At the beginning of the story, Amy doesn't know anything about Jackson. Jonathan has erased Jackson from all their lives. Lisa no longer remembers him and as an effect of the toxin, she's very trusting off Jonathan, but no one else. She's not even very close to her daughter. Enjoy!


	2. Chapter One

**Never…**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything related to _Red Eye_ or _Batman Begins_!

**Chapter One**

Amy Crane yawned loudly as she stretched. She loved the early morning; seeing as it was only time of day that she was not surrounded by the insanity of the life going on around her.

Her father, Dr. Jonathan Crane, was the director of Arkham Asylum for the Criminally Insane and a well-known psychiatrist, before packing up his family and moving them back to Miami following the attack on Gotham City, shortly after her birth. Her mother was originally from Miami and they lived comfortably in a Tudor mansion in one of the more elegant neighborhoods in the city.

However, the Cranes had just decided to return to Gotham after sixteen years of living in virtual exile. Jonathan was busy campaigning for his old job as director. Her mother, Lisa Crane, was withdrawn and spoke very little. She had been greatly affected by the fear gas that had spread through the water mains during the night where Gotham came near destruction. Jonathan had injected her with the antidote immediately at an immense risk to himself since Lisa had attempted to attack him under its powerful influence.

"Amy?" Jonathan asked from outside her room. "We need to leave in fifteen minutes."

Amy groaned and rolled out of her comfortable bed. Instead of falling clumsily to the floor, she landed deftly upon her feet and used one arm to hold herself up form the ground. She stood up and walked over to her closet, numbly yanking out her usual 'crazy' clothes: a simple light blue blouse, a dark blazer, matching dark pants, and heels. The blue blouse accented her striking blue eyes, which was the only clue that she was even related to Jonathan. She had straight brown hair, a shade of color between her father and mother that she usually wore cut short. Lisa hated her hairstyle, but she was unable to sway Amy from her complete stubbornness.

As a matter of fact, her mother had no control over her. There was only room for one authority in the Crane household and that power belonged to Jonathan alone.

Amy secretly hated her father. She knew that he had an obsession with fear and had performed unethical experiments on his former patients. She had heard rumors regarding the creation of the fear toxin and his involvement ever since they arrived in Gotham less than two weeks earlier. Of course, back then the only side of Dr. Jonathan Crane that anyone ever saw was the devoted family man who had saved his wife and newborn child from the terrorist attack. Amy definitely knew better then that.

She was not a naive individual and she knew that Jonathan was grooming her to one day become a psychiatrist. That was the singular reason behind all the visits to the various asylums and her working with him. It was not, as Jonathan pretended, to spend some quality father-daughter time.

"Amy! Let's go!" Jonathan was calling her again, clearly annoyed.

It was never a good idea to anger her father. She had learned that lesson a few days earlier, but she had still believed that he was a good person and defended him against the accusations said from those around her. But no more. Amy had reached the end of her rope and she was fighting back.

There was no love lost between her and her ignorant family. Amy Crane would stop at nothing to bring Jonathan down; despite the pain it would cause her mother. If losing Jonathan meant causing her mother's death due to her weakened state, Amy did not care. Jonathan deserved to be punished for his crimes against humanity. She would see to it that justice was served or she would deliver it personally.

No one else was going to get hurt.

* * *

Dr. Jonathan Crane was not a tall man; he was only a few inches taller than his wife and teenage daughter. His long-legged stride was unusual and caused Amy to run to keep pace with him. She hated following him about like a little, lost puppy dog. It was demeaning.

"Hurry up," snapped Jonathan. "We're already late."

_Whatever you say, dad. Or should I say 'Scarecrow'? _

Amy rolled her eyes at him behind a curtain of her hair. Who would believe her if she told the truth about him?

It was not like she could walk up to a random person and say 'Hello, my father is a psychopath with MPD and he tried to kill me.' No one would believe a young girl with her record and penchant for lying and manipulating. If Jonathan had not insisted that she accompany him, it was doubtful that Amy would even be allowed in most of the asylums because she might very well cause mischief and release the patients. More than once, Jonathan had threatened to send her off to a juvenile detention center instead of getting her out of trouble, or to a boarding school if her risky behavior did not cease.

But she knew that he never would. He needed her to continue his work. He could not afford to lose her, but she was determined to break free. Now that she was back in Gotham, she could easily escape and run away. Surely there was someone in the city that would take her in. When they lived in Miami, their house had been surrounded by a high, iron fence that required a code and that her parents controlled from the house. There had been no way to runaway from that beautiful fortress.

"Dr. Crane, it's nice to see you again," greeted the current director of Arkham, an older man preparing to retire. Dr. Olsen was a genuinely nice guy, unlike Jonathan. "Amy."

Amy just nodded hello. Jonathan had yelled at her before about speaking. He preferred that she remain silent unless he was asking her a direct question.

_"When you talk it interferes with my work and distracts me," he had hissed at her. "And we don't want that, now do we?" _

"It was very kind of you to take some time out of your busy schedule to meet with me," Jonathan said, his voice sugary sweet and false-sounding to Amy's well-trained ears. She was adept at seeing through lies.

"Let's step into my office, shall we?" Dr. Olsen offered, opening the door.

Amy had seen her father clench his teeth at the words 'my office'. It was very clear that Jonathan still saw Arkham as his, even though he had made the decision to leave. He quickly regained his composure and they entered the office, Amy on his heels.

"Dr. Crane, I had some questions concerning your file," Dr. Olsen said, once everyone was seated.

"Yes?" Jonathan replied, intrigued and with a hint of annoyance.

"It's concerning two separate murder cases and the sequence of events leading up to your unexpected departure."

"Amy, leave the room," Jonathan ordered coolly.

Amy wanted to protest, but she knew it was useless. She would only anger him and lose badly. It was better to give up without a fight. She quickly exited the office and closed the door harshly behind her. If he remembered her slamming the door, then he would punish her for it later.

She spun around to lean against the wall, colliding with a man at the same time.

"I'm sorry," she blurted out and her face fell when she realized that she had run into a police officer.

"It's okay," he said, waving it off.

"I'm really sorry, I didn't mean too… I was just so mad at him that I wasn't thinking straight," she apologized.

"Mad at who? Dr. Olsen?"

"No, at my father, Dr. Crane. He kicked me out of their meeting. It was bad enough that he had the nerve to wake me up and drag me to work with him…"

"You're Dr. Crane's daughter?" the police officer asked curiously.

"Yes, I'm Amy Crane."

"Amy Alison Rippner?"

"No, I'm Amy Alison Crane. Why do you ask?" Something was odd about this conversation. Why did this man seem so nervous?

"Miss Crane, my name is Jim Gordon. I knew your mother and your grandfather."

"My grandfather? I don't have a grandfather. He's been dead my entire life."

The office door opened and out stepped Jonathan Crane. He glared at Jim, clearly remembering all the trouble that the police sergeant had brought to him sixteen years earlier. He casually slipped an arm around Amy's shoulders and smirked at Gordon.

"Come on, Amy. We're going home," Jonathan said sweetly.

"It was nice to meet you, Jim," Amy called, as Jonathan turned her around and they walked away from Gordon.

"Amy, what did I tell you about talking to people?" he hissed into her ear, once they were in the parking lot.

"You said not to. But this was an exception—"

Jonathan quickly cut her off. "There are no exceptions. Do you understand? You are not to talk to anyone, let alone the police, and especially not Sergeant Gordon."

"Why?"

"Sergeant Gordon tried to frame me for a murder that I did not commit. He's out to get me and whatever you say to him or to anyone else might be twisted and used against me."

Amy doubted what he said. Jim Gordon had seemed to be an honest man. Why would he be out to get her father?

_Not unless he knew the truth… Does he? _

**Author's Notes:**

A very long first chapter! There will be a flashback soon that will explain why Amy doesn't like Jonathan anymore and doesn't trust him. Enjoy and please review! Big thanks to **emptyvoices**!


	3. Chapter Two

**Never…**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything related to _Red Eye_ or _Batman Begins_!

**Chapter Two**

Amy and Jonathan sat in a stony silence on the drive home. She was still slightly surprised that her father had not sprayed her again with the toxin as he had not hesitated to punish her the last time she had angered him.

_"Amy Alison Crane, what do you think you're doing?" Jonathan Crane asked harshly, a slight tone of amusement creeping into his voice. _

_Amy froze on the window sill. He was supposed to be downstairs, socializing with the rich and prominent people he had invited and keeping Lisa at his side. Jonathan had insisted upon the ball and as a result, the gate surrounding the property remained open. It was Amy's opportunity to escape and now he stood in her bedroom as the only obstacle in her way. _

_"I just needed to get some air." Amy fibbed. She decided not to mention that the fresh air she was seeking was far outside the security gates and Jonathan's imaginary world. _

_"Get back in here this instant, Amy," he ordered. _

_"Or?" She was provoking him and she knew it. But what was he going to do to her? _

_"I'll drag you back inside." He sneered at her and yanked a fistful of her short hair, pulling her back inside. _

_Amy dug her fingernails into his hands as she yelped in pain. Jonathan's hands instantly grabbed her wrists, holding them tightly in one hand. _

_"Let me go!" Amy cried. _

_"And let you run away? No, no, Amy. Are you aware of the pain you would cause your troubled mother? Tsk, tsk…" _

_His eerie blue eyes focused on hers, sparkling with a mixture of malice and delight. They held the promise of pain. Amy gritted her teeth and reeled her head back, before slamming it into Jonathan's in a loud head-butt. Jonathan moaned and released her. _

_She rushed back to the window, quickly climbing out onto the balcony. Racing down towards the rose trellis, searching for her hidden backpack, she knew she would have to escape into the side yard. _

_"Looking for this?" teased Jonathan, waving the dark blue backpack in front of Amy's startled face. She stepped back and ran the other direction. Jonathan dropped the bag in order to pursue her. _

_There was another trellis on the other side of the house. If she could reach it, then she could climb down and backpack or no backpack, she could make her escape. To add insult to injury, she was planning to steal Jonathan's car in order to leave the house. His car keys were already in her jacket pocket. _

_The trellis was gone. All Amy could see was the unforgiving cement patio directly beneath her and her heart sank. _

_"I think you underestimated me, Amy," Jonathan said coldly, appearing from the shadows behind her as he pressed her against the rail. _

_"No, I think you underestimated me," she said in retaliation. _

_Amy attempted to punch him, but he smoothly gathered up her wrists in one hand and stroked her hair with the other. He smiled at her. _

_"I've grown tired of your constant disobedience, Amy. You're almost more trouble than you're worth. Lisa and I could always have a child and then we wouldn't require you anymore. You're dispensable." _

_"You're just plain despicable," Amy shot back. _

_"Do you see that patio down there? The last time someone fell, their neck broke instantly and your mother had to get it power washed to remove the stain. Do you know who that was, Amy? Do you know who died out here?" _

_"No one." _

_Jonathan laughed. "Your father died out here. It's only fitting that the punishment I give out to you is in the same place. Like father, like daughter." _

_A cloud of white gas came from Jonathan's arm and assailed Amy as she gasped, choking on the fumes. Jonathan simply smiled at her torment as she looked at him and saw her nightmares and fears play out in front of her eyes. She screamed in horror. _

_"Tell me what you see," demanded Jonathan, his voice warped and twisted like his darkened soul. _

_"Scarecrow!" she hissed, images of the straw man clouding her vision. As a child, her least favorite character had been the scarecrow. Scarecrows were not normally monsters, but every time she had woken up in the dark, a man with a grotesque mask had been in her room. _

_"Correct…" _

"Amy, let go right now," hissed Jonathan, ripping her hand from the armrest. "You are ruining the leather."

Amy glared at him, yet complied. She did not give a damn about the stupid leather interior of his fancy car. But at the same time, she had no desire to be gassed again. She had been the only child to ever cry at the initial appearance of the straw man in the _Wizard of OZ_, instead of at the flying monkeys.

There was only one thing in the world that Amy truly feared and that was Scarecrow, who she knew was her father. He had been the one tormenting her as a child. Whenever she woke from a nightmare, Jonathan was always the first to respond. He approached her wide awake with a smile of indifference. Lisa would then shuffle in behind him, her green eyes weary and still filled with fear. Jonathan would then attempt to calm her down quickly. She was one of his experiments, as well as his only hope of continuing the work he had already begun.

"Come along, Amy. We're home," Jonathan said calmly.

Amy begrudgingly complied and exited the car. She walked up the front steps of their modest home; a major step down from the mansion she was used to back in Miami. Jonathan followed closely behind her and ordered her to turn around while he punched in the entry code. He was meticulous about security and he was the only one who had the codes to enter and exit the house, which meant that escape was virtually impossible once inside the confines of the home. Even if Amy managed to break out of the home undetected, she would be unable to return if necessary.

_No, once I escape, I'll never come back here_. She would run away as soon as Jonathan started becoming busier in the evenings, in which he was less likely to pay attention to her. The plans were already in motion and it was now just a matter of time.

Where she would run to, Amy did not know or care. All she wanted was to be far away from Jonathan Crane.

**Author's Notes: **

I meant to get this chapter out sooner, but I found it rather hard to write when I could not stop sneezing. Thanks for the kind reviews and major thanks to **emptyvoices** for helping me. Enjoy!


	4. Chapter Three

**Never…**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything related to _Red Eye_ or _Batman Begins_!

**Chapter Three**

"Lisa?" Jonathan called out as he entered their house with Amy following reluctantly behind.

"Jonathan, you're home early," Lisa replied as she entered the room from the kitchen. Amy was shocked to see her normally frail mother up and about.

"Dr. Olsen told me he was uncertain about the position. He said to return home and he would let me know."

"Oh, Jonathan, I'm so sorry."

Amy shook her head in revulsion and climbed the stairs to her room. Her parents were too disgusting to watch. Lisa always said exactly what Jonathan wanted to hear. Sometimes she wondered if Lisa was even human or if Jonathan had replaced her with an unfeeling robot.

When Amy reached her room, she suddenly did not want to go inside. Instead, she opened the door leading to the attic stairs. She climbed the dusty steps eagerly, anxious to find a new place in the otherwise cramped house. She knew that many of their belongings had come with them, while some of their possessions had remained behind in Miami. They still owned the home, but Jonathan was a stickler about family togetherness and refused to leave Amy or Lisa behind in Florida.

Of course, Amy's criminal record was not favorable. Granted, she had never committed more than minor offenses and it was always to test and rebel against Jonathan. She knew a great deal about abnormal psychology and she wondered if she could manage to give the impression she had Antisocial Personality Disorder, then Jonathan might simply give up on her. It was an act of rebellion and Jonathan saw through the pretense quickly.

She engaged in petty theft, risky behavior (she had purposefully been caught with drugs on three separate occasions), a disregard for authority, and an indifference towards others, a falsified suicide attempt, and a failed runaway attempt, which did not show Amy in a good light. Jonathan had berated her concerning her behavior many times, yet to Amy, his constant criticism seemed to encourage it. She took advantage of his harsh discipline as an excuse to explain her behavior.

Amy's biggest accomplishment was finishing high school a year early without ever having to attend classes. Jonathan had been delighted at her mental abilities and intelligence. Lisa had not appeared to be surprised.

She shuffled around the attic, peering in boxes, but finding nothing of interest. She was about to give up when she noticed a trunk that seemed old, yet was not covered in dust. It must have belonged to either Lisa or Jonathan. She traced the initials carved into the box. _L.R.R. & J.R._

Amy only knew what a few of the initials referenced, yet she was certain that Jonathan's last name had never been anything other than Crane. Intrigued, she tried to lift the lid only to find that it was locked.

Not about to be deterred, Amy withdrew a pocketknife and deftly picked the lock. It clicked and Amy lifted the lid of the trunk. Inside were clothing, photographs, and other miscellaneous items that seemed to belong to another person. She picked up a framed photograph and blew off the dust. At first glance, she thought the picture was of her father and mother, but as she examined it more closely, she recognized her mother who seemed far happier than Amy had ever known her to be, standing with a man that bore a strong resemblance to Jonathan, yet Amy was able to determine that this was definitely not Jonathan Crane. _I look more like him then I do of Jonathan. _She thought.

Slipping the picture out of the frame, she turned it over. _Lisa and Jackson Rippner, 2005_ was carefully scrawled on the back.

Her mother and another man? And just before she was born to boot!

_Rippner, where have I heard that name before?_ Amy wondered. It was familiar, yet foreign.

A search of the box revealed more photographs, all within the same timeframe as well as some yellowed newspaper clippings.

**_Two Dead After Attempted Break-In_ **

_The police received a frantic phone call from a newlywed Lisa Rippner following an attempted break-in at the Rippners' posh _ _Miami__ mansion. Mrs. Rippner was in a state of extreme shock and haphazardly splattered with the blood of two men. The intruder was found dead in the entry way and the body of her husband, Jackson Rippner, was discovered on the patio…_

_**Rippner's Death Ruled A Homicide **_

_The Miami-Dade Police Department has declared the death of Jackson Rippner to be murder. Mr. Rippner was found with a bullet in each shoulder, both his kneecaps shattered, and a broken neck resulting from a fall to the patio. He was killed by Lisa Rippner following a break-in, during which Jackson Rippner shot and killed the intruder. Following a violent argument, Lisa Rippner lost control and shot him, ultimately causing his fall from the second floor of the home. Lisa Rippner was released with no pending charges due to physical and psychological abuse that he perpetrated on his unsuspecting wife. The police are just beginning to investigate Jackson Rippner's extensive criminal past which they believe was the root cause of the argument which caused Lisa Rippner to lose control. _

Was her mother really Lisa Rippner? Had her mother cold-bloodedly killed a man? Then how had she ended up with Jonathan in enough time to become pregnant with her? Some of the articles were dated less than six months before her birth. How was any of this possible?

Amy resumed her examination of the trunk. The clothing was fashionable and expensive. It included tailored men's suits and dress shirts. Did all these clothes belong to Jackson Rippner? If so, why had her mother and Jonathan kept them?

"Amy?" Lisa's soft voice was calling her from downstairs. "Amy, where are you?"

_Did I shut the door? Please tell me I shut the door… _

Light footsteps sounded on the stairs beneath her. She had forgotten to close the attic door. Now Lisa was going to find her snooping around and tell Jonathan. Lisa was completely loyal and she only responded to her master, Jonathan.

Amy hastily shoved everything back into the trunk and shut it. She was not about to be caught red-handed. She had just finished putting everything away and was sitting down with her back against the trunk when Lisa appeared before her.

"Amy? What are you doing up here?" she asked.

After seeing the pictures of the vibrant Lisa Rippner, the woman in front of her appeared to be a ghost; only a shell of the former Lisa.

"I just needed somewhere to hide," Amy said coolly. Just to annoy her mother, she added, "I need a new place to start storing my stash anyways."

"Stash? Amy, have you been doing drugs again?" Unlike Jonathan, Lisa had never figured out that Amy was playing mind games with everyone in respect to her rebellious behavior.

"Maybe I have." Amy shrugged, plastering a grin on her face.

Lisa panicked. "Jonathan!" she cried out loudly.

Jonathan was in the attic in a flash. "What's going on?" he demanded.

"It's Amy!" Lisa whispered into his ear, clinging to him for support. "She's been doing drugs again!"

"It's all right, Lisa," he said calmly, stroking her hair. "I will handle it. You just go back downstairs, okay?"

Lisa nodded and obeyed. Jonathan waited for her to close the attic door before spinning around to Amy. He yanked her up off the floor and glared at her.

"What did you say to her, Amy? Are you purposely attempting to prevent your mother's recovery? We were making excellent progress until your little pretense of rebellion upset her. Do you want to kill your mother, Amy? Do you understand how fragile her mind is?"

"Is it so fragile that she snapped and killed a man?"

"Where did you hear that?"

"I think I remember hearing it from you. The night you used that crap on me before we moved here for good. Remember, _Dad_?" spat Amy, disgusted.

Jonathan Crane snapped. Both of his hands wrapped around Amy's slender neck as he proceeded to choke her. He was smiling at her with sadistic pleasure while everything began to fade away into darkness.

_Am I dead yet? _

**Author's Notes:**

I'm really enjoying writing this story. The next chapter is really long and I'm just about halfway done typing it right now. It will hopefully be up tomorrow afternoon. Thanks to everyone who has reviewed so far! Major thanks to **emptyvoices**! Enjoy!


	5. Chapter Four

**Never…**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything related to _Red Eye_ or _Batman Begins_!

**Chapter Four**

"Ugh," Amy groaned several hours later as she awoke in her room. Night had fallen across Gotham City, leaving her in total darkness. Lifting herself out of bed, she stumbled towards the light switch, afraid that Jonathan might be lurking in the shadows, waiting to attack her again. Was it Jonathan that had attacked her in the attic?

_Of course it was… Who else but Scarecrow would hurt you? _

She flicked the light switch on and blinked several times to adjust to the sudden light that illuminated the room. After she adjusted to it, Amy examined herself in the mirror above her dresser. Bruises formed around her neck in the shape of hands which extended outwards, encircling her already sore throat.

Jonathan had tried to kill her. Her own father had tried to strangle her!

Amy jumped when she heard his voice. He was yelling at someone downstairs. She cringed involuntarily at the anger in his tone.

"What the hell am I going to do with her? Tell me!" Jonathan voice rose in fury, sounding demanding.

"I don't know." Lisa's trembling voice barely reached Amy's ears.

"I should have just killed her. She's more trouble than she's worth!"

"Don't, please...she's just a baby…" Lisa was pleading and Amy could already imagine that she was probably clinging to Jonathan's arm in desperation.

"Her behavior is unacceptable. She must be disciplined."

"Jon, Jonathan…" Lisa started to say.

The ringing of a telephone ended the conversation and Amy heard a soft thump that she assumed was Lisa Crane hitting the floor. Only Jonathan was allowed to answer the phone, and surely he had probably shoved Lisa aside as she attempted to answer it. For Amy's sake, as well as her mother's, she hoped that it was his precious Arkham Asylum calling on the phone.

Amy could not overhear what was being said. Jonathan was speaking too low for her to hear his barely audible tones. Despite the walls and floors in their new house being paper-thin, allowing the voices to usually be heard, Amy was unable to discern what was being said.

"Lisa, I have to go," Jonathan announced a few minutes later. Amy could tell by his tone that he was probably smiling. He sounded happy, which was a rare and also dangerous feat.

"Jon, what's happened?"

"Dr. Olsen is dead. They think it was a heart attack."

"Does this mean that you have your job back?" Lisa asked joyously. It was obvious that her mother knew that when Jonathan was pleased, life was a great deal easier. If he was in a good mood, he would not yell or strike anyone.

"Yes, it does. But I have to go now. Keep an eye on Amy."

"I will," Lisa promised; ever the faithful dog eager to obey her abusive master in an effort to please him.

The front door opened and closed and Amy listened carefully for his car to start and she watched him drive away. She breathed a sigh of relief knowing that Jonathan was gone and would likely be busy until late that night. Now was her chance to escape.

Amy found her backpack and hastily threw in a pair of jeans, a few shirts, and other necessities. She quickly changed out of her dressy outfit and slipped into a dark pair of jeans, a black shirt, and her boots. She was about to head for the window when she remembered the trunk in the attic. She needed to salvage something from that trunk before Jonathan had time to destroy it. She had to know the truth.

She snuck out of her room and up the attic stairs, careful to avoid any creaky floorboards. Lisa might not be as alert as Jonathan, but if she heard any loud noise, then she would surely investigate. She was not a fool.

Amy picked the lock once more and gathered as many photographs and newspaper clippings as she could. She even stopped to grab a pinstriped jacket, a bloodstained burgundy scarf, and a comb with a few strands of hair still attached. Satisfied, she closed the trunk lid and hurried back down into her room.

Amy slipped out of her window and down the fire escape. There were no security features on her window yet because Jonathan had not found the time to add them. In addition, it was against the neighborhood association rules to nail her window shut and she often opened her window simply to annoy Jonathan; setting off any alarm that he had tried to impose on his own.

She ran down the darkened street and never once looked back to see if her mother had seen her leave. Her rubber-soled boots hid the sound of her running footsteps. She did not care where she went as long as she got far away from her parents and steered clear of Arkham.

* * *

"Amy?" Lisa called, rapping lightly on her bedroom door. She was worried about her daughter knowing that Jonathan had nearly strangled her to death.

_But Jonathan would never hurt her on purpose… there must have been a reason. _

Her loyalties were evenly split. She would never dream of letting her unruly daughter come to harm, yet at the same time, she trusted Jonathan with her life. He had never once led her astray. She vaguely knew that someone had manipulated her many years ago, but it was definitely not Jonathan.

There was no response from behind the door and Lisa twisted the door knob and entered the room. She gasped in shock. The window was wide open and Amy was gone. Fumbling in nervousness with the phone, Lisa called Jonathan at his office. She knew that he would angry with her, but if she had she called the police, he would have deemed it time for another dreaded therapy session.

"Dr. Crane," Jonathan's smooth voice answered.

"Jon, she's gone! Amy's gone!" Lisa's panicked voice cried out through the phone.

"Lisa, shh. Calm down. What happened?"

"I came up to check on her and her room's empty. The window's open and she's gone! Oh, Jonathan…"

"It's all right, Lisa. I'll find her. Go wait downstairs for me. I'll be back soon."

* * *

_Amy, Amy, Amy…_ The rebellious teenage daughter of his brother. The only surviving Rippner…

Amy should have been the perfect experiment following her mother. Lisa had outlived her usefulness, but she was too perfectly well-trained for Jonathan to bother disposing of her. Lisa was not a threat to him or to anyone. However, Amy was.

She was far too much like her father. She was stubborn, reckless, and impulsive—capturing all the traits of the former Jackson Rippner. Jonathan had tried to coerce those traits of his brother out of her, but he had still failed. She was more like her father then she was like Jonathan.

But he would catch her and she would suffer. Scarecrow wanted to play…

* * *

Within a matter of minutes, Amy had unknowingly stumbled into the decrepit section of Gotham known as the Narrows. This was the first time she had been in the Narrows besides passing through it to reach Arkham Asylum with Jonathan. But even then she had been in a car and night had not yet fallen.

She was completely lost in a dangerous section of a strange town.

_What have I gotten myself into? _

She quickened her pace, hoping to find some place to hide or someone kind enough to take her in. There was no way that she was going to roam the streets all night long.

An arm reached out and gripped her wrists suddenly as she was wandered down an alleyway.

She froze, trying to decide how to defend herself. _What if it is Jonathan and he's come to finish the job? Or Scarecrow? _

"Give me all your money and jewelry. Now," snapped the voice of a man, a blade flicking open as he held it across her bruised throat. She bit her lip due to the pain the instrumented inflicted by its slight pressure on her neck.

"I don't have any."

"You're lying."

"Please, just let me go. My father, he'll be looking for me. He'll be very upset if I'm late," Amy fibbed. Jonathan already _was_ upset with her.

"Yeah, right, girly. And who might he be? Is he the scary bat-man?" the mugger teased.

"He's Dr. Jonathan Crane," she said, hoping this thug was afraid of Jonathan. Amy normally would be repelled at dropping his name, but her father was well-known around Gotham and had once had some pull with Carmine Falcone and his men.

"The nut from Arkham? I ain't afraid of him."

One of the man's hands traced her side and came to rest on her hip. Amy shivered. _No, this can't be happening… I won't let it. _

Amy kicked backwards and used her fist to knock the knife away from her throat at the same time. She slipped from his grasp and turned to run. He caught her by the ankle, pulling her down to the ground. She knew that his intentions had changed.

"NO! Someone help!" she screamed, until a hand clamped over her mouth. Her backpack had slipped off and she was pinned down by his bodyweight alone as the mugger rummaged through the pack. He ripped the scarf out and bound her wrists, abandoning the pack in the alleyway as the contents slipped into the muck. A handkerchief was shoved into her mouth to muffle her cries.

Amy continued to fight, even though she knew she would inevitably lose. Girls were physically lacking in upper body strength when compared with men. All she could hope was that someone had heard her cry.

"Stop fighting!" the man hissed, cracking her head against the broken cement.

For the second time that day, a weary Amy was losing the battle to remain conscious. _I have to keep fighting! _

A dark, ominous shadow covered her in the brief instant as she saw a strange image reflecting against the cement. _A bat? _She thought wearily before a welcoming darkness enveloped her mind.

**Author's Notes:**

Now who might that be that came to Amy's rescue? The next chapter should be up soon. Enjoy and thanks to everyone who has reviewed. Special thanks to **emptyvoices**!


	6. Chapter Five

**Never…**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything related to _Red Eye_ or _Batman Begins_!

**Chapter Five**

Jonathan punched his steering wheel in unmaintainable fury. He had been so close to catching Amy, only to have her slip through his grasp. He should have strangled the petulant brat of a niece when he had a chance, and then he would not have to chase her around the Narrows in his car.

Now, his enemy in Gotham, the dreaded bat-man, had her. Batman had been the one person to nearly destroy him before but as luck would have it, Amy had been born and the inmate escape from Arkham had provided him with a legitimate avenue of escape from questioning authorities.

He needed to get Amy back before she had the chance to cause any damage. She was the only one who was really aware of the experiments he performed on his patients and rebelled against his authority. Lisa was aware of his activities however she capitulated underneath his authority. Amy was unfortunately a loose cannon.

* * *

"I found her in the Narrows." Batman said, gesturing to the sleeping teenager in the passenger seat of the Tumbler. Her backpack had been zipped up and he had laid it on the floor beside her.

"That's Amy Crane," Jim Gordon said with surprise immediately identifying her, after peeking into the black tank. "What happened to her?"

"She was the near victim of a mugging gone wrong. Her head was slammed into the ground and she was knocked out. She sure put up one hell of a fight though," he said, admiration clear in his voice for the feisty young woman.

Gordon noticed the bruises on her neck and marks on her wrists. "Was she restrained in any way?" He questioned, indicating the bruises.

"This was wrapped around her wrists." The Batman handed over the burgundy scarf.

"Nothing around the neck?"

"No. He never touched her neck."

"I need to take some pictures of her injuries. Those bruises are recent," Gordon said. Unfortunately, his camera was back at his office.

"Do you think she was abused?"

"It's possible."

"Here, use this," offered the bat, handing Gordon a high-tech camera. "I'll bring you back the pictures."

Jim nodded at his gracious offer. If only Gotham had several more people such as him that could shake themselves out of apathy and indifference, then the city would stand an even better chance of survival.

Gordon snapped several pictures of Amy Crane's injuries with the Batman's help. If anyone, such as Jonathan Crane was hurting her, then these photos would be documented proof; unmistakable evidence of his crimes. It might be enough to get a conviction.

"I'm going to catch hell for this," Gordon muttered as he returned the camera to the Batman.

"Why would you?"

"Our favorite psychiatrist is back and that's his daughter."

"Crane?" It was not as much a question as a statement.

"Actually, she is really Jackson Rippner's daughter, all though I doubt she knows it. I'm sure that Crane has been keeping the truth from her. I need you to keep her protected from him. He'll stop at nothing to get her back."

Gordon knew that he was asking or rather _ordering_, a great deal from this masked man, but he was only person that he could trust with such a delicate matter.

"I know a friend who can watch her and keep her safe from Crane."

"Who? Just so I know where to find her."

"Bruce Wayne. I'm sure given the circumstances, he won't mind taking her in for a while. Don't worry about Crane. He'll never find her there."

"Thank you."

"Just doing my job," Batman said with a shrug before climbing into the Tumbler.

* * *

For a moment, Amy thought that she was back at home in Miami. Her bed was incredibly soft and warm; the room bright and airy. Then she came to the sad realization that the exquisitely carved wooden furniture, expensive bedding, and stylish curtains were not hers. They were beautiful, but this was not her home. As a matter of fact, Amy was sure that she had never seen this place before in her entire life.

Subcoming to panic, Amy threw the covers off her body and noticed that she was not wearing her clothes. Instead, she was dressed in a loose tee shirt and sweatpants. Glancing around, she noticed her discarded boots in a corner, her backpack, and her ruined clothes. She quickly shed the unfamiliar clothes and slipped into her other jeans and a fresh shirt. Her bare arms were slightly chilled, and she tossed the suit jacket that she had lifted from the trunk on.

Hastily, she yanked her boots on and slung her backpack over one shoulder. She was not about to hang around this strange place to see who had brought her here. _What if Jonathan's lurking around? _

Just as she yanked open the heavy wooden door, an attractive man, probably around Jonathan's age, appeared. He was dressed casually and his face indicated surprise upon seeing her out of bed.

"Amy? What are you doing up so soon?" he asked in a calm, reassuring tone. He seemed kind, but Scarecrow had destroyed her trust in 'kind' people after so many years of being forced to endure his company that rather then responding, she turned to the outer hallway and bolted. She was desperate to get away from her unfamiliar surroundings and especially from the presence of the stranger who had obviously brought her here.

Wherever she was, she became aware of just how large the house was. Amy became easily confused and was soon lost in the myriad of corridors within the mansion. She heard the footsteps of the man pursuing her and her heart pounded faster in absolute dread.

_"You can't hide forever, Amy…" taunted Scarecrow. _

"Stop it!" she screamed at the relentless voice of Scarecrow in her mind. She could hide for as long as it took. She would get away.

"Amy? What's wrong? I promise you that you're safe. There's no need to run," the man called after her, his voice growing closer.

Amy shivered and kept going, only to find that she had backed herself into a corner. _Shit! _

She took off her backpack from her shoulder. It was lightweight, but if she swung it hard enough at his face, she might be able to buy herself enough time to escape. A few minutes would be all the time she would need.

_I have to escape. I can't let Jonathan or Scarecrow find me. He'll kill me. This man probably works for him. _

When the stranger appeared before her, she instantly swung the backpack with all her strength, yet he deflected it with his raised arm. Amy was shocked at his quick reflexes however, she tried to swing again, only to have her right arm captured in mid air, holding it tightly, causing her to drop the flimsy weapon as she attempted to pull away from his firm grip.

"Amy, if you try to fight me, you will lose and most likely end up hurting yourself. I don't want that to happen," he said as he gripped her other arm to cease her futile struggling.

"Who are you? You work for him, don't you?" she demanded frantically.

"My name is Bruce Wayne. Work for who?"

"Him!" screamed Amy. "Scarecrow!"

"Crane won't touch you here, Amy. I won't allow it. I promise you."

"Where am I? What do you want from me?" she asked fearfully, slightly calmer, yet she was still on edge. _Can I really trust him? _

"You are in Wayne Manor, which is my home. All I want to do is to keep you protected from Crane. I know that he hurt you, Amy and I know what Crane's been doing for years."

"Then why haven't you stopped him?"

"Because he's an expert at covering his trail. I need solid proof before my good friend, Rachel Dawes, who works in the District Attorney's office can prosecute him. I need your help and the information you can give me to bring him to justice."

"How can I trust you?" Amy inquired stubbornly as her voice echoed with resentment.

"Amy, if the Batman, your father's greatest enemy can trust me, then why can't you?"

Everything that Bruce said made sense and Amy yearned to believe him. She desperately wanted him to be a good person. But how did he really know about her father's under-handed dealings?

"Tell me what you know," she asked finally.

**Author's Notes:**

Bruce is finally in the picture! And Jonathan's going to be extremely pissed in the next chapter. Enjoy! Major thanks to **emptyvoices**!


	7. Chapter Six

**Never…**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything related to _Red Eye_ or _Batman Begins_!

**Chapter Six**

"Lisa!" Jonathan yelled as he slammed the front door closed and chucked his briefcase at a nearby chair. He was furious; at Lisa, the bat-man, and most of all at Amy.

Cowering in fear, Lisa entered. "Yes?"

"Is it time for another session, Lisa?"

"No…no. I'm fine. I promise to behave."

"Come here," he ordered and Lisa grudgingly obeyed. He gripped her chin tightly and forced her to look into his ice-cold blue eyes. "Do you need another session? Do not lie to me."

Lisa lowered her head, defeated. Jonathan smiled. "You always were a good liar, Lisa."

Jonathan collected his briefcase and ordered Lisa to sit. As she stared at him blankly, Jonathan excitedly filled the syringes with his 'medication'. He did not incorporate talk therapy into his sessions anymore with Lisa. His current methods were cruel, using drugs and other methods to induce pain during these horrendous torture sessions.

All of the drugs that he used on Lisa and Amy were his own creations. The first one would send Lisa into an altered, dream-like state before he injected the hallucinogenic drug. While she dozed under the weight of the initial sedative, he would assume the identity of either Scarecrow or Jackson to terrify her. He forced her to confront her fears under the second drug, which were according to his extensive notes; knives, blood, shattered glass, guns, rape, confined places, Jackson, and an overwhelming fear of death. The therapy did little to benefit Lisa but gave Jonathan a thrill of pleasure as he insured his domination over Lisa.

"Jonathan, can we do this another time? Please? I want to wait for Amy." Lisa pleaded, desperately trying to avoid another dreaded session with him.

"No, Lisa, that's not acceptable. I know you need this especially since Amy won't be coming home," he hissed, preparing the first hypodermic needle.

"Oh god, Jon. Tell me that you didn't…"

Jonathan gripped her arm and inserted the needle into the vein of her wrist quickly before she had a chance to object. "I will get her back eventually and finish her therapy too," he whispered. "I will strip her of her remaining will just as I destroyed yours."

As Lisa slept, unaware of his fervent promise, Jonathan straightened his tie. Tonight, he would wear no mask nor would he hide in his dead brother's clothing. He would be just Dr. Jonathan Crane, a misunderstood psychiatrist trying to help a patient overcome her debilitating fears.

Once he was ready to begin, Jonathan injected the fear-inducing toxin and pulled the knife from his briefcase. As Lisa stirred, he lightly traced her throat with the blade.

Her heart began to race and her green eyes opened, darting back and forth. Her fear was very much alive and tonight, she would relive her greatest nightmare.

Jonathan's sadistic smile was all that Lisa could see as he slipped the knife along the scar on her breast. She trembled at the blade's cold caress.

"No, please don't!" Lisa cajoled; her pathetic attempts to struggle elicited blood.

"Stay still or you'll get hurt."

"No!"

Jonathan carefully reopened the wound and clamped his hand over her mouth to muffle her cry of pain. "Ssh, my pet. We're just getting started."

Lisa shook violently, the blood seeping from the wound, staining her white blouse. She was fearful for her life.

"Tell me, Lisa." Jonathan demanded. "What do you fear? Are you frightened yet?"

"Please, let me go. Take whatever you want, just don't hurt me…" Lisa whispered not knowing that it was Jonathan who was tormenting her. The man before her had no face being that it was obscured by shadows, darkness, and blood. Her blood.

Jonathan laid the bloody blade against her cheek. "Aw, you know I can't do that. I need to help you, Lisa. I only want to help."

Lisa turned her face to the side, away from him. "Jonathan!" she screamed. "Help me, Jon!"

"That's a good girl, Lisa."

Jonathan put the knife down and reached for a shard of glass. Killing Jackson by shooting him, causing him to fall out the window, had inspired a fear of glass. Not to mention making Lisa gun-shy.

He held the shard in front of her face. "No!" she stuttered, desperately trying to knock the glass from his hand. "Stop!"

Jonathan smirked at her and slipped the glass down her throat. She froze, tears surging from her eyes. He traced the glass delicately against her skin, covering most of her body before tossing the piece of glass to the floor. Lisa jumped as it broke against the tiled floor.

She was sobbing now as he reached for the gun. They were nearing the end of the session now.

"Are you frightened, Lisa?" he questioned. "Do you fear me?"

"Yes!" she gasped and then yelped as the cold metal touched her skin. She struggled violently, as if the gun had scalded her flesh. Jonathan laughed. The gun was always a catalyst for her terror, which haunted her of her crime.

He placed the gun in her right hand, closing her struggling hand around it. Her pointer finger was on the trigger. He double-checked that the silencer was screwed on properly. He aimed the gun towards the ceiling.

"Do it, Lisa," Jonathan demanded. "Pull the trigger."

"I can't!"

"Do it or you will die."

Crying, Lisa pulled the trigger as Jonathan had directed. She screamed at the sound of the gunshot. He went to take the gun from her grasp when it went off again.

Jonathan froze. Slowly, he touched his shoulder, where the second bullet had lodged itself. Lisa had shot him.

He ripped the gun from her grasp and tossed it aside. Jonathan moved away from Lisa as she curled up into a defenseless ball. He had broken her again. Satisfied, he gave her the third drug and gave an instruction to her mind to forget the details of the session. Her conscious mind would forget the events, yet it would remain locked in the fore-front of her unconscious; effectively haunting her. That was her punishment and her curse.

As for the bullet in his shoulder, it was to his benefit. He quickly cleaned up the house and wiped down the weapons he had used. Then, Jonathan created a crime scene. He knocked over furniture and ransacked their small home.

Pleased with his fake 'crime scene', Jonathan called the police.

"I would like to report a kidnapping," Jonathan said, inserting a tone of panic into his voice after an officer picked up. "My name is Dr. Jonathan Crane and two men just broke into my house and kidnapped my daughter. They also assaulted my wife and myself. We need medical assistance."

**Author's Notes:**

Jonathan is ruthless and twisted. Now Gordon is in a tight spot because he knows that Amy was not kidnapped. Enjoy and many thanks to **emptyvoices**! The next chapter should be up soon!


	8. Chapter Seven

**Never…**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything related to _Red Eye_ or _Batman Begins_!

**Chapter Seven**

"Dr. Crane, would you care to explain to me what happened here?" a weary Lieutenant Gordon inquired of Jonathan soon after he arrived on scene.

"I was about to head to Arkham, when the doorbell rang. I answered it and two men burst into the house whom were both carrying weapons." Jonathan seemed cool and collected which was not normal behavior for someone who had just been 'attacked' as he claimed.

"Can you describe these men?" Gordon asked suspiciously

"Unfortunately, I'm unable to. The intruders wore masks and both were taller than me and had superior physical strength. That's all I can recall."

"Did they wear gloves?"

"Yes."

Gordon nodded, figuring that dusting for fingerprints in the small house would be futile anyway. Crane's fingerprints were probably everywhere, seeing as it was his residence.

"Once they were inside, what did they do?"

"They told Lisa and I to stay downstairs. Then one of the men whom had a gun, remained in the room with us while the other went to get Amy. He dragged her down the stairs while she cried out for us to help."

"How were you and Lisa injured?"

"Lisa, my sweet Lisa, tried desperately to get to Amy and during that attempt the assailant angrily slashed her with his knife. I went to assist her and I was shot in the process. Lisa simply froze due to the fact that she's extremely gun-shy. They left with Amy, despite our efforts to rescue her, and I was forced to sedate Lisa. She was hysterical."

"Did they say why they wanted Amy?"

"No, but I heard them mentioned something about Rippner."

Gordon was intrigued. "What about Rippner?"

"I don't remember. It made no sense to me at the time. No one knew that Amy was his daughter. Besides, he's dead."

_Liar…plenty of us knew. _

Gordon's cell phone rang. "Excuse me for a moment," he said to Jonathan, stepping away from the ambulance.

He quickly answered the phone. "This is Gordon."

"Lieutenant Gordon? This is Bruce Wayne. I saw that there was a break-in on the news at the Crane home. What happened? Does this concern Amy?"

"That's what I'm trying to figure out. Jonathan Crane is claiming that two men broke in to kidnap Amy. He's demanding an investigation into her supposed abduction."

Bruce sighed. "I'm going to contact Rachel Dawes and see if there is a legal avenue to stall Crane. No matter what, we cannot let him find her. Hopefully, Amy will admit to me that Crane has been physically abusive towards her and then we'll have a case against him."

"Keep me posted," Gordon said, knowing that he had to get back to the crime scene.

"I will," Bruce agreed and the phone went dead.

Gordon pocketed the phone. Now, he had to go tell Crane some bullshit excuse why they were not launching an immediate search for Amy. Hopefully some combination of the 48 hour waiting period and Amy's record would be a convincing argument for Jonathan. _Because Amy could have 'hired' men to 'kidnap' her…yeah, that should work._ He thought with amusement.

* * *

Bruce turned to face Amy again. The teenager was quietly sitting on a couch, her arms wrapped tightly around her body. She still did not trust him but hopefully she would let down her guard tell Bruce what Crane did to her so that he could better protect her against Crane's relentless pursuit of her. There was no doubt in his mind that if Crane got his hands on her he would ultimately kill her.

And Bruce would not allow that to happen.

* * *

"Amy, can you tell me something?" Bruce asked gently as he sat down directly in front of her.

She jumped at the sound of his voice, seeming visibly preoccupied within her own thoughts. "What?" she asked, edgily.

"My friend Lieutenant Gordon has just informed me that your father, Jonathan Crane is looking for you. He's telling police that you were kidnapped."

Amy snorted at the absurdity of the idea.

"Gordon is legally obligated to tell Jonathan that you're here unless you have something about him to tell me, he could be here in less than an hour to take you home…" Bruce's voice trailed off.

"No," Amy said, shaking her head in despair. "Don't let him take me back!"

"Why not?" Bruce demanded firmly. "Has Jonathan hurt you, Amy?"

_Malice filled his face as he roughly strangled her. _

Amy froze for a moment, lost in the nightmare as her hands frantically tried to fight off Crane's invisible grip around her throat.

"Amy?" Bruce asked gently, his tone radiated with concern.

"Yes, he did. He... he strangled me…" Amy said softly, putting her head into her hands, feeling already the pain of his retribution due to her for speaking badly about him. _He will punish me for sure now… I'll have to have a therapy session...his therapy...I won't survive. _

"Would you be able to swear in a court of law that Jonathan Crane attempted to strangle you and left those bruises?"

"Yes…" Amy murmured. _I have no choice. He'll kill me if I don't. _Bruce reached and put a comforting hand on her shoulder causing Amy to immediately jerk backwards.

"It's going to be all right Amy," he told her soothingly. "Here's what I would like to do. I am going to call my friend that I mentioned before whom works in the D.A.'s office. Her name is Rachel Dawes and if you repeat to her what you just told me then she will help us keep Jonathan away from you. Do you think you can you do that?"

"Yes… just don't let him come near me, please!"

"I won't let Crane near you. I promise."

_We'll see how long that lasts—he will find a way. He always does…_Amy thought as a shiver racked her small frame violently.

* * *

"Dr. Crane?" Gordon called out as he entered his hospital room. Crane had just had surgery to remove the bullet and was still recovering.

"Yes?" the psychiatrist answered.

"I just received word from Rachel Dawes. She is formally pressing charges against you for abuse against a minor."

"What?" Crane was outraged. "I never hurt anyone!"

"Then would you care to explain these marks, Dr. Crane?" Gordon asked, placing the photographs that he had obtained with the Batman's help.

"Those did not come from me. I can assure you of that."

"Then you would not mind if we compared your hand prints to the bruises on your daughter's throat?"

Crane paled. He knew that he was caught. Any comparison the police would do would reflect his involvement. Luckily, Lisa entered the room, preventing him from having to answer the question.

"Jon, oh God!" She raced to his side and awkwardly hugged him. After their embrace ended, she became aware of the photographs. "That's Amy, isn't it? Is she dead? Jon, tell me that she's not dead."

"She's not dead," Jonathan reassured Lisa, who sighed in relief.

"Mrs. Crane, has Jonathan ever hurt Amy before?" Gordon asked, startling the upset woman.

"No, never. He was angry with her earlier but he would never harm her." Lisa insisted.

"So, you have never seen these bruises on Amy's neck before?"

"Only once before she disappeared. Jonathan said that he had not meant to hurt her and... What is this about?"

"Mrs. Crane, I'm afraid that your husband has been physically abusing your daughter. There will most likely be a trial and until this matter is settled, Jonathan Crane is not allowed to go anywhere near Amy."

Lisa's green eyes were wide in shock. "No, he would never hurt her…"

"I'm sorry," Gordon said quietly, before gathering the photographs and leaving the room. It was unfair to cause Lisa additional suffering, but he had to protect Amy. He had barely shut the door before he heard Jonathan's raised voice.

As soon as Amy was safe, his next project would be getting Lisa away from Jonathan Crane. There was very little doubt in his mind that Jonathan had been the one to assault Lisa. If he could prove it, then both Amy and Lisa would be safe from Dr. Crane. _I just need to find something that links him to her assault in order to lock him away for good. _

**Author's Notes: **

Jonathan's in trouble. Everything that he's been trying to hide is about to come out. Enjoy! Major thanks to **emptyvoices** again! Next chapter coming soon!


	9. Chapter Eight

**Never…**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything related to _Red Eye _or_ Batman Begins_!

**Chapter Eight**

"Hello, Amy. My name's Rachel and I'm here to help you," Rachel Dawes said softly, as she sat down beside the distraught teenager who was shaking in fear.

"Maybe now isn't a good time," Bruce suggested, looking worriedly at her.

"She will be okay, Bruce. Just let us girls talk, all right?"

Bruce nodded reluctantly and left the room, closing the solid wood paneled doors behind him. Rachel observed Amy for a moment, noticing the dark bruises upon her throat and her apparent distrust of others.

"Do you think you can tell me what he has done to you?" Rachel asked her quietly.

"Why do you care?" snapped Amy, her blue eyes hash and cold. "No one has ever given a damn before."

"Excuse me?"

"What? Do you think I actually would do drugs if I had a choice?" Amy snorted. "Or slit my wrists? Come on; give me a little credit here."

Rachel was confused. One moment Amy was silent and the next she was _bragging _about her past crimes? What had Jonathan Crane done to her?

"Are you saying that Jonathan coerced you into doing that or that you did it yourself?"

"I did it to myself to get away from him. Yet, every time I got shipped straight back to him. Why should I believe that this time is gonna be any different?"

"Amy, if you can tell me every thing that he has every done to you and be willing to go to court as a witness, then we can put him away for a very long time. You will never have to see him again."

Amy smiled despairingly, shaking her head. "It sounds nice but you do realize who you are dealing with, right? He won't let me get away."

"Why not, Amy? Why do you think that we can't stop Jonathan Crane?"

Amy was silent for a moment as she finally sighed and took a deep breath. "You can stop him but can you stop Scarecrow?"

* * *

It was not Jonathan Crane that Amy was worried about. It was his other half; the monster within him known as Scarecrow that haunted her. Scarecrow was the one who wanted to torment her.

Sure, her father controlled the monster within himself, but she could take being around Jonathan Crane. Even with all of his abuse and regimented rules Jonathan was a piece of cake compared to Scarecrow, who was the ultimate demon that dwelled inside him, which was the reason behind all of her fears.

And now without Scarecrow to keep her in check, Amy was remembering everything that he had ever done to her. She remembered the relentless 'therapy' sessions, the tests, and of course, the ever-present masked man. Scarecrow had never been far away; always lurking in her father's shadow, waiting to spring free and attack her in order to feed off her fears.

It was Scarecrow who needed to be stopped.

* * *

"Who is Scarecrow?" Rachel asked. She vaguely remembered Carmine Falcone having uttered the same name in his hysteria and Rachel had asked the doctor the same question. His answer had been evasive and formulaic as if he was giving a university class lecture.

_'Patients suffering delusional episodes often focus their paranoia onto an external tormentor, usually one conforming to Jungian archetypes. In this case, a scarecrow.' _

He had claimed that it was simply an archetype derived from the patient's mind, but what were the odds of two of Dr. Crane's patients having identical fears of the same horrific image? _Plus, why would she insist that I stop Scarecrow, instead of Crane? _

"You know who is. You've met him before."

"Your father? Amy, is Jonathan Crane 'Scarecrow'?"

Amy nodded solemnly.

"Was it Scarecrow who hurt you?"

"They are one and the same," she whispered in response. "He's both."

Rachel could already see the insanity defense that Jonathan Crane was going to employ. He was going to plead temporary mental insanity and get away with it unless Amy opened up to either her or Bruce.

"Amy, is your father mentally unstable?"

"That depends on what you consider 'unstable'." Amy was enjoying jerking Rachel around; speaking in circles.

Rachel sighed and tried again. "Does Jonathan have any type of mental disorder?"

Amy smiled. "Well, let's see. He's sadistic...if you haven't already figured that much out and he seems to be psychopathic as well as being afflicted with MPD."

"Okay then. That answers that."

Amy smirked at Rachel. Being difficult was a defense mechanism for her. Even if it often got her into trouble, it was a way of separating herself from the overwhelming pain that burdened her mind.

"Now, Amy, can you tell me if Jonathan or Scarecrow ever hurt you?" Rachel was begging, determined to get a clear answer out of her.

_"You are just like your father; a useless, troublesome brat." Jonathan's harsh voice echoed in her head. They were having a session and he always mentioned her father during their sessions, when he let his guard down. _

_Amy smirked. "Aw, thank you." _

_"Luckily, I know how to deal with that." Jonathan's sadistic smile appeared as he prepped the needle and harshly jabbed it into her vein, smiling as she gasped with pain. _

_ The next thing she knew, Scarecrow had arrived and she was fighting him. He simply laughed at her feeble attempts to escape. _

"Amy? Amy?" Bruce was shaking her awake. Her blue eyes wearily opened and she caught sight of his worried face as Rachel paced behind him.

"Scarecrow," she whimpered. "It was Scarecrow…"

"What did Scarecrow do?"

"Toxin, he injected the toxin. Then he attacked…"

"When was this?"

"Our last session…"

"What about the bruises, Amy? When did he strangle you?"

"Tonight. He found me in the attic. The trunk… Rippner…" Amy was dazed, still not realizing what was going on. She was awake, yet not quite all there.

"What trunk?"

"L.R.R. & J.R." Amy chuckled, as if it were a grand joke. "He knew I saw it too."

"Where is the trunk?"

"Attic, if he hasn't destroyed it yet."

Bruce stood up and turned to Rachel. "Can you stay with her?" he asked.

"Bruce, what's going on?"

"She saw something that Crane did not want her to see. He's got something to hide from her and not just his experiments. Whatever it is might help our case. And this toxin he put her on...I've got to find it."

"But—" Rachel started to protest, however Bruce was already gone.

* * *

A short while later, Bruce Wayne and Jim Gordon were back in the Crane home, heading for the attic. They found it quickly and Bruce went inside the room first. Jim had managed to secure a search warrant for their on going investigation of Amy's kidnapping as well as the possible abuse.

"What exactly are we looking for?" Jim asked Bruce, who was resolutely probing the tiny attic for the trunk Amy had mentioned.

"A trunk Amy mentioned which has something to do with 'L.R.R. & J.R.'. That's all I know."

"Are we sure that it's up here?"

"That's what Amy said. Unless Crane has had the time to destroy it."

"He hasn't."

"Then it's in here." He swept the flashlight around, looking for any clue he could find. His eyes glanced to the floor, noticing several footprints in the dust. _A struggle? _

There were two sets of prints and one was positioned as if someone had been peering into a box, and the other set of footprints looked as if someone were leaning against a trunk in the corner. Bruce came closer. The footprints were small enough to be Amy's. Shinning the flashlight on the lid, 'L.R.R & J.R.' became clearly visible to him.

"I found it!" he announced, Gordon hasting to his side as he opened the box. Whatever was inside, Crane was willing to kill over.

Once the lid was open and the flashlights were aimed at the interior, Bruce understood why she had been curious. Amy had found Jackson Rippner. Or at least his clothes.

_But why would Crane kill her over the clothes? Did Amy remove something else? _

"What are we missing?" Gordon questioned.

"The toxin. Where could Crane hide it? What was downstairs?"

"Some turned-over tables and broken glass; nothing much. A briefcase…"

"Briefcase. That's it! He hid the toxin there and assaulted Amy with it…"

"I think he probably used it on Lisa Crane as well." Gordon said.

"Why?"

"Her injuries were not consistent with Crane's story. They were methodical and slow, not haphazard as a quick slash in the arm would have been. Plus, there was a bullet hole in the ceiling."

"So? What if they missed?" Bruce could not figure out Gordon was hinting at.

"While holding the gun on the Cranes? Doubtful. It's more logical that Crane was playing some sort of demented mind game and either Lisa or Amy turned the tables on him."

"How will we know for sure?"

"We find the briefcase and I think we will find a whole new side of Jonathan Crane." said Gordon, smiling.

**Author's Notes:**

MPD is a mental disorder known as multiple personality disorder, which occurs usually due to trauma and causes the appearance of several people in one. One is the core personality (in this case, Jonathan) and the other are alters. There is no limit to the number of alters. Jonathan only has two alters though—Scarecrow and Jackson. Enjoy and major thanks to **emptyvoices**! The next chapter should be up soon!


	10. Chapter Nine

**Never…**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything related to _Red Eye_ or _Batman Begins_!

**Chapter Nine**

Jim Gordon opened the briefcase that Jonathan Crane had carelessly left behind. His mouth dropped open as he peered at the alarming contents. A knife, a gun, and three empty hypodermic needles lay on the top of his jumbled files, a piece of burlap, and other miscellaneous items that Crane had put inside. Bruce carefully picked up the empty syringes.

"I'll get these to Fox and maybe he can run some tests so we can determine exactly what were in these." Bruce suggested. _What have you done to them, Crane?_

"You should probably have him run a complete set of blood work on Amy as well."

"Good idea. Anything else of interest in there?"

"I think I found our Scarecrow." Gordon said grimly, as he held up the piece of burlap which acted as a modified gas mask. Bruce twitched instinctively at the sight of the mask that had covered his enemy's face.

_"Get rid of all traces." Batman heard Crane's distant, calculating voice say as an instruction to the men. They immediately followed instructions, grabbing gas cans as one of them made the suggestions that they torch the abandoned dwelling. _

_Batman instantly went into motion, disarming the two criminals, and then turned to face Crane, who had donned a burlap mask which covered his entire head, as he raised his arm in which a small cloud of white smoke was emitted directly into his face. _

_He had breathed part of the gas in and choked, seeing a whirlwind of images collide around him, not to mention the terror he felt in his chest as he looked at Crane's mask only to see a multitude of bats fly directly from the demon's mouth, circling around him. _

_"Oh, having trouble?" Crane asked him mockingly. Shoving him backwards, Crane said, "Here have a seat, have a drink." He told Batman as he dumped a bottle of liquor over him. "You look like a man who takes himself too seriously." _

_Through the haze of dark images that traversed his mind, he saw Crane holding a lighter as a flame flickered at the end. "Do you want my opinion? I think you need to lighten up." _

It was sixteen years ago when he had been exposed to the Crane's toxin once, however Amy had endured it repeatedly for the past several years.

"Amy will have to identify it eventually," Bruce remarked sadly. The poor girl simply did not deserve all this torture she had been through.

Gordon nodded and turned to the files. He noticed that there was one for Amy and another for Lisa. He cautiously flipped through them and shook his head in disgust at Crane's notes on their individual 'sessions'. It was rather disturbing reading material which concisely documented all the torment he had put both women through.

"This is one sick bastard." Gordon muttered. "It's a wonder that they are even still alive."

"They are strong," Bruce admired the courage of Amy and Lisa. "Both of them had to be, however Lisa was emotionally crippled before Crane even got his hands on her."

"True," Gordon sighed, reflecting on what Jackson Rippner had done to his wife well before she had ever met Jonathan Crane.

Bruce took over for Gordon and continued to riffle through the briefcase. He found Crane's personal notes on the injectable medications as well as several vials of the various fluids. "I need to get these to Fox as well. Hopefully he can tell us something more about it."

"Sounds like a plan," agreed Jim.

* * *

"Rachel?" Amy asked quietly, not looking up from where her eyes had stared fixedly on the pin-stripe pattern of the suit jacket Rachel was wearing.

"Yes?" Rachel answered.

"Can I show you something? Just so that I know it's real?"

"Of course. What is it?"

"I found these before he hurt me," Amy said, carefully removing the photographs and newspaper clippings from her backpack. The glass in a few of the picture frames had shattered, yet the photographs were still intact. Rachel slowly took them from Amy's trembling hands.

"You found these?" she asked her, amazed at what Amy had uncovered. She was looking at an entirely different Lisa captured in the photographs than the one that she knew today.

"Uh huh."

Rachel looked from the photographs of Lisa and Jackson Rippner to Amy. "Bruce wasn't joking when he said that you resemble him."

"Resemble who?" Amy was curious. _I don't look like anyone. _

"Jackson Rippner."

_"No, _ _Jackson__, don't!" Lisa Crane was screaming. _

_Amy watched from the relative safety of the stairs. The screams had drawn her from her room, carrying over her music, startling her. There was a man wearing a suit just downstairs and he was stalking her frail mother with a knife. He reminded her of Jonathan Crane, yet it could not be her father. He was taking a nap claiming exhaustion from a long day of work. _

_"Dad?" Amy cried out, running to her parents' room. "Dad?" _

_How could he sleep through her mother's terror-ridden screams? _

_The cries ceased and she spun around to check on her mother. Had the stranger killed her? _

_Amy screamed as she could only stare in horror, because in all of his cruel glory stood the Scarecrow that she thought only existed in the realm of her nightmares. He smiled menacingly at her, the stitched mouth of the mask taunting her. She fell backwards in shock as she quickly tried to scramble backwards away from him. _

_"Aw, we haven't forgotten yet, now have we? We still remember our fear…" _

_Amy kicked the monster's knee and darted past him as he crumpled towards the floor. She raced down to where her mother was lying prone on the tile floor. _

_"Mom? Mom!" Amy was frantic. _

_"Don't let _ _Jackson__ find you," Lisa whispered, her blood slowly pooling on the floor around her. Amy could not see the wound or its severity. "Run…" _

_Amy was about to protest when the Scarecrow grabbed her from behind, his arm encircling her waist, pulling her towards him as his other hand gripped her short hair, yanking her head backwards as a needle pricked the delicate skin of her neck. She whimpered in pain and slowly gave in to the approaching blackness. _

"Jackson Rippner tormented my mother, didn't he?" Amy asked Rachel quietly, returning to the present. The past had a way of so often intruding upon her weakened mind.

"A long time ago," Rachel responded halfheartedly.

"But I saw him! I saw Jackson!"

"That's not possible," Rachel was shaking her head in disbelief.

"I saw him just a few years ago! He attacked her with a knife! She called him Jackson and told me to run! Then…" Amy was shaking in fear. "Then Scarecrow came for me…"

"Amy, Jackson Rippner died before you were even born. You simply couldn't have seen him. You might have just been dreaming."

"Then who…?" Amy became dazed for a moment, lost in thought. _Where had he been? Why didn't he help her? _

"Amy?" Rachel's worried voice echoed within her ears.

"It was him, wasn't it? Dad; he used the clothes in the trunk to torment her. But why?" Amy was near tears. She was still having a hard time dealing with the fact that Jonathan Crane was a psychopath who had tried to harm her.

* * *

"Fox?" Bruce called out as he wandered down into the basement of Wayne Enterprises. Fox often preferred to reside down there with his various scientific endeavors, even though he had been promoted several years earlier.

"Yes, Mr. Wayne?" responded the somewhat eccentric African-American who poked his head out from behind his computer to greet his employer.

"I have a rather interesting case for you. It involves our old friend Dr. Crane and his affinity for fear inducing toxin. I found these in his house." Bruce laid out the notes, vials, and empty syringes in front of Fox. The older man appeared to be intrigued as he picked up a syringe to examine.

"Do we know what the purpose of these were for?"

"All I know so far is that he has been using them to experiment on his wife and teenage niece for the past several years. It relates to his special interest in fear but that's all we've been able to determine."

"When did he get married?"

"Just after the toxin was released in the Narrows. He married his twin brother's pregnant widow."

"Wow, that for sure makes for an interesting family tree," remarked Fox. "Crane had a twin?"

"His name was Jackson Rippner. Lisa Rippner, I mean Crane. Oh, whatever…" sighed Bruce in confusion. "She murdered him over sixteen years ago."

"And ended up with Crane? Odd…"

"Yes, extremely. Apparently Crane's been using them as lab rats for the same amount of time."

"Well, I'll run some preliminary tests on these. It is possible that I could have some blood samples from them to collaborate my results?"

"Of course. His niece is staying at my home. However Lisa might be a separate matter in trying to obtain a blood sample. Either Gordon or myself will try to speak to her," Bruce said, however he was relieved in knowing that Fox would help him out.

"And if possible, would I be able to speak to Amy?"

"I think that can be arranged."

**Author's Notes:**

In the next chapter, we'll see Crane's arrest and Amy's reaction to needles. It might take a day or two for the next chapter to be posted and I'm sorry. It's the last week before finals and life is a little crazy, but I'll try to stick to the every day updates. Enjoy! Major thanks to **emptyvoices** for all of her help!


	11. Chapter Ten

**Never…**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything related to _Red Eye_ or _Batman Begins_!

**Chapter Ten**

"Bruce, we've finally got Crane," Rachel said triumphantly as Amy slept on the couch, exhausted from her constant ordeal.

"Are you sure?" Bruce asked softly, trying not to wake the fitful teenager from her slumber.

"Positive. Amy has told me enough so that we can get a warrant for Crane's arrest. Call Gordon."

"And tell him what exactly? You're the prosecuting attorney on this case, Rachel."

"Fine, I'll do it," huffed Rachel as she walked away to call Lieutenant Gordon.

Bruce sighed. Rachel was bound and determined to nail Crane this time. Not only because he was abusing a minor, but also due her own traumatic experience with the psychotic doctor.

Glancing at the couch where Amy slept, he observed her as she curled up tightly on the couch, pressing her small frame against the soft cushions. Her posture betrayed the fact that she was defensive even while she slept. _I doubt Crane left her alone even when she was asleep. _

It was a real shame to see such a vibrant young woman broken at such a young age. He had glimpse Amy's spirit and spunk when he had first met her. If Crane had not mostly destroyed her, it would have been interesting to see her grow up, free of his influence. _What would she have done with her life? _

"Amy?" he called quietly. He did not wish to wake her, but he knew that Fox needed a blood sample from her as soon as possible. With Rachel sending the police to arrest Crane, the preliminary hearing for the case would be in a matter of days. They would need all the evidence that they could possibly obtain to put Jonathan Crane away for good.

Bruce gently laid a hand on Amy's shoulder.

The teenager let out a scream and shot up, her blue eyes were wide with terror and she instantly scooted away from him in fear. He could see her racing heart through the thin material of her t-shirt and he knew he had frightened her. _I'm not much better than Crane to her at the moment. _

"What? What do you want?" she asked, as she started to calm down, yet her eyes still remained alert. Bruce stayed where he was, unwilling to make any sudden moves that would startle her anymore.

"Amy, I need to get a sample of your blood..." he started to say.

"My blood? Why? So you can figure out the best way to torment me?" Her defenses were completely up. Amy was immediately suspicious of him._ What is he planning? _

"No, Amy. I told you that you can trust me. All I want is to help you. I found the toxin that Crane was using on you. My friend, Mr. Fox, wants to compare your blood to the toxins to better understand it and collaborate the results as evidence against Crane. Please, Amy."

"No," Amy was shaking her head. "Never."

"Amy, your blood will help us put Crane away for good. Please let me take it. I promise I won't hurt you. I'll be as gentle as I can."

"That's what he always said!" Amy screamed at him. "He always said that before the sessions started! He lied! You could be lying now."

"I've never lied to you, Amy."

"I'm sorry, but I just can't. I can't take that chance."

"Amy, I don't want to have to forcibly take a blood sample, but I will if you leave me no other choice," Bruce said quietly. Time was against them and obtaining the sample was too important to let it wait.

Amy thrust up her jacket sleeve, exposing the crook of her elbow. "Go ahead," she dared him; her blue eyes were as cold as ice.

Bruce looked at her pale, thin arm. There were track marks from Jonathan's constant 'therapy' sessions. Evidently, Crane's use of needles was something that occurred on a frequent basis. He pulled the hypodermic needle and tourniquet from his pocket.

Amy took a deep breath and bit her lip as Bruce tied the tourniquet onto her arm to expose a vein.

"Am I hurting you?" he asked her softly.

"No."

Bruce quietly searched for a vein. He did not wish to harm her, and luckily one of the veins stood out prominently, which made his job easier. He raised the needle, preparing to insert it to draw the necessary blood.

Suddenly, Amy started shaking as she let out a soft moan, curling herself into a ball on the sofa. Bruce momentarily forgot about drawing her blood and reached out to comfort her however, the needle was still in his hand. Amy screamed at the sight of it and fought his grip on her shoulder. She smacked the needle from his grasp, jumped up and turned to run.

* * *

_"I promise I won't hurt you," Scarecrow was whispering to her, stroking her dark hair as she trembled uncontrollably._

_"No, please don't. No…" Amy whimpered as the needle appeared in his hand. Where there was one needle, there was two more. A grand total of three which was a strange number to be sure. Three had been a common number centuries ago and many older published works were full of the number three. All three meant to Amy was triple the torture. It was her unlucky number. _

_"You know that you need your medication. I can't help you without it." _

_"I don't want your help. I'm fine…" _

_"Amy, you know perfectly well the procedure before our sessions. Now hold still." _

_"NO!" she cried out as he harshly pricked her skin with the first needle making sure that she could see the syringe embedded in her arm. _

_Scarecrow purposely left the empty needle in her arm for her to remove. She yanked it out quickly, as a few drops of blood splattered on the table. _

* * *

_No needles! No more needles!_ Her mind screamed.

Scarecrow always brought needles when he visited her during those terrifying sessions. To her, they were a representation of Scarecrow and a mark of fear and torture that she would soon endure. Surely, Bruce did not want to hurt her, but her fear of needles was too prominent for her to comply with his simple request. She had tried to fight the terror that overcame her, yet her dread was beyond her control.

Escape was a reflex. Amy had to get away from the syringe before Scarecrow's inevitable return to harm her once more. She had to get out of here.

"Amy, it's okay," Bruce was trying to reassure her. "Did I hurt you?"

"Scarecrow," she whispered; the words barely made a sound. Her voice had disappeared in her sudden panic, as she slumped against the wall in exhaustion.

"It was the needle, wasn't it? He used needles to inject you with drugs. How many needles did Scarecrow bring?"

Amy shakily held up three fingers.

"Amy, I have to draw this blood. Every moment we waste is another moment that the toxin remains in your bloodstream. I have to do this. I'm just trying to help you."

She was shaking her head. _NO! _

"I'm sorry, Amy."

_NO! _She struggled to get to her feet to escape.

Bruce instantly pinned her to the floor, pressing her thin body against the ground, as she struggled frantically against him while he quickly inserted the needle into the vein in her arm. He filled the test tube as rapidly as possible and gently withdrew the needle from her arm. Amy remained on the ground huddled against the wall, hysterical as she wrapped her arms around her body. Tears made their way down her cheeks from beneath her closed eyelids.

"I'm sorry," he whispered, before leaving the room. The best thing to do was to give her some privacy after the ordeal she just had.

* * *

As Jonathan Crane was slipping into his clean sports jacket with Lisa's help, Jim Gordon and a furious Rachel Dawes stormed through the door to his hospital room.

"Why, hello Lieutenant Gordon… Miss Dawes," Jonathan sneered.

"You are under arrest Dr. Crane, for reckless child abuse and endangerment in the form of human experimentation," Gordon announced, removing a set of handcuffs from his pocket.

"And what may I ask caused you to arrive to that intriguing conclusion?" Jonathan asked coldly, feigning surprise at Gordon's declaration.

"Ask your lawyer," snapped Rachel. Gordon shot her a look, urging her to remain calm. Rachel complied angrily.

"Hands behind your back," Gordon ordered, hastily snapping the metal cuffs on Jonathan's slender wrists. The psychiatrist remained aloof as he readily complied with Gordon's requests.

Lisa Crane broke out of her stupor and rushed to Jonathan's side. She placed a hand on Gordon's arm. "No, he didn't do anything," she protested, weeping. "Please, don't take him away!"

"I'll return for you, Lisa. Be assured of that," Jonathan promised as a dark smile appeared upon his face as he gave Lisa a quick kiss. "These charges will not hold up in court."

"Jon! Jonathan!" Lisa cried out after him as Rachel held her back. Lisa began to weep loudly as Rachel gently put an arm around her.

"Come with me," Rachel whispered to the distraught woman.

**Author's Notes:**

I managed to get this chapter done! Yay! Hopefully, the next chapter will be up tomorrow, seeing as I'm halfway done typing it already. Enjoy and major thanks to **emptyvoices** for her help.


	12. Chapter Eleven

**Never…**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything related to _Red Eye_ or _Batman Begins_!

**Chapter Eleven**

_He's going to kill me… He's got to kill me…_

There was no way that Jonathan Crane would let her live now. Bruce had her blood, which was evidence of what Jonathan had done to her. She had tried desperately to hide the effects of the toxin, yet it seemed it was all for nothing. Jonathan would think that she had ratted him out and she would be punished as he saw fit. There would the one last therapy session and perhaps he would give her an overdose of the medicine. No matter what, Jonathan would kill her.

_I know too much. I can tell them everything. I'm a loose end._

Her life was in immediate danger. If he found her, then she was dead. She had to leave Wayne Manor before Jonathan learned of her betrayal.

_Wait until morning… Scarecrow lurks in the shadows._

She would hold off until dawn. Then she would have to leave Bruce behind and go where Jonathan could not find her.

* * *

At the break of dawn, Amy gathered her battered backpack and exited her room quietly. She had tried to memorize the layout of the mansion the previous evening when Bruce had carried her exhausted body upstairs. She had been too weak to fight him or to soak up many details concerning the house.

_It should not be this hard, honestly…_

Finally, Amy reached the front door. Her hand was twisting the doorknob, when it suddenly swung open on its own accord and in stepped a weary Bruce Wayne.

"Amy. Oh good, you're awake." He muttered.

"I—"

"Do you have any dressier clothes than that? Never mind. We can stop by your house to pick something up before we go."

"Go where?" Amy demanded.

"To the preliminary hearing. It's this morning. Rachel or Jonathan decided to push for an early time frame. Most likely it was Jonathan." Bruce said, sighing heavily.

"Why do you never refer to him as my father anymore?"

"That's because Jonathan Crane is not your father."

"You have got to be kidding me." _He's lying, I know it._

"He's your uncle."

"What? He doesn't have a brother."

As a matter of fact, Amy could not recall ever having met any of Jonathan's family. Or Lisa's for that matter. They lived in total isolation.

"Amy, Jonathan has a twin brother. Your father is his identical twin."

"What are you saying?" Amy was confused. _What is he trying to get at?_

Your father is Jackson Rippner. Not Jonathan Crane."

"What? The man that mom killed? You're joking." _Right?_

Jackson Rippner…the man in the pictures with her mother. The smiling stranger of whom she bore a striking resemblance.

"_You are just like your father!" Jonathan was hissing at her, shaking her._

"I'm not joking, Amy. Jonathan Crane is not your father." Bruce told her.

"How, how can you possibly know that? I know Jonathan wouldn't tell you that."

"I did a background check on when your mother was pregnant with you. I heard about what happened in Miami. It was tragic and it's no wonder that your mother is in her current state. Jackson laid the foundation for Jonathan's experiments." Bruce seemed sad, like he was wishing he could have changed things.

"You know, don't you?"

"Know what, Amy?"

"_What you are doing to her isn't therapy, Jon!" Lisa was shouting at Jonathan._

"_Then what exactly is it, Lisa?" demanded Jonathan, his blue eyes flashing angrily._

"_It's abuse, Jon! You are hurting her! I asked you not to hurt her—"_

_Jonathan grabbed Lisa's shoulders tightly. "I beg to differ on that statement. You requested for me to prevent you from harming her of which I complied. However, you never made any such distinction about me."_

"_My God, Jonathan, what kind of monster are you? She's a baby!" Lisa cried. _

"_Oh, Lisa, Lisa. She's already five years old—which is such a promising age, and despite the fact that my treatment is rather unorthodox, I will not allow her to progress to become like him. I suggest you learn to cope with that fact."_

"_How is torturing her going accomplish that? Explain that to me!"_

"_I detest your accusation that I'm harming her. I'm not. In fact, my therapy will provide her with the basis of her own terror. If she has something to fear, then it is unlikely she will become like her father."_

"_Jonathan, just don't harm her anymore. If you have to, hurt me instead. Just not my daughter." Lisa pleaded._

_Jonathan scowled at her as he shoved Lisa against a wall. "Do you enjoy it more when I act like him?"_

"_Jon? What are you doing?"_

_His hand found her throat and he squeezed. "I asked you a question. Do you prefer it when I act like him, Lisa? Do you miss him?"_

"_Jonathan, I can't—" Lisa choked and gasped._

"_Breathe? How observant of you. That's exactly the point, Lisa. That's the point!" He raged, shaking her._

_Lisa struggled and he smirked at her before releasing his grip. "That's what you get for being a whore, Lisa."_

_Lisa collapsed onto the floor, gasping. Jonathan stood over her and gave her a swift kick to the stomach, succeeding at knocking the wind out of her. She curled up into a ball as Jonathan kicked her again, and again; releasing all of his pent up anger on her pitiful form._

_Beaten to a point of agony, Lisa begged, "Stop, please. Stop or I'll tell…"_

"_Tell who, Lisa? If you speak to anyone, I'll make certain that you'll never see Amy again." He threatened._

"You know that he hurt me first. He just tried to scare me. Then he created the toxin when I was six. Ever since then, he's been injecting us with it and giving us the toxin on a regular basis."

Bruce felt sickened at this new information as he looked at Amy's shivering form. "No, I didn't know Amy." Bruce said softly.

"No one was ever supposed to."

* * *

Lisa Crane slept fitfully that night on Rachel Dawes' couch. The district attorney had insisted that she stay at her small home and Lisa had reluctantly agreed because she had nowhere else to go. The police were not allowing her to return home, as it was a crime scene and she could have driven to Miami, but she did not want to be far from Jonathan.

She needed her medicine. It had been several hours since her last dose and it was beginning to wear off. Only Jonathan had the medicine that she required. Only he could help her control the demons inside of her.

For the first time in at least a decade, Lisa's mind was left unencumbered by the drug and she was able to dream.

_She was home in Miami at the house that he had bought for her. Not Jonathan, because he could never afford it. It was Jackson. Jackson Rippner… her first husband, her love, and the only man that she had ever purposely killed without even considering the consequences.._

_He entered the living room, where she was lounging on the couch and smiled broadly at her and then sat down beside her. Today must have been his day off because he was dressed casually in a simple pair of jeans and a t-shirt._

_"Leese," he said sweetly, cupping her chin as if no time had passed._

_"Jackson, where have you been?"_

"_I was busy. I'm sorry that I couldn't be here for you Lisa. How's Amy?"_

_Lisa automatically looked down at her stomach, but she was no longer pregnant. "Oh, Jackson…"_

"_What happened?" He asked her as concern flooded through his blue eyes. Amy's eyes. Why had she allowed this to happen?_

"_Jonathan and his therapy. He's harming her. I tried to stop him!"_

"_It's all right, Lisa. I'm here and it'll be fine. I promise."_

"_Please, don't leave me again Jackson."_

"_I never left."_

Lisa awoke panting from the cruel memory of Jackson, whom offered her once again the fleeting sensation of protection, but Jackson was dead! He was dead and buried and she had killed him! Her dreams could not undue the traitorous act she committed all those years ago. _Oh Jonathan, where are you when I need you? I need my medicine!_

**Author's Notes:**

I really truly meant to have this up yesterday, but we had an electrical storm at my house, and I was unable to use my computer. One of my friends actually had her laptop catch fire last night in the storm. I'm really sorry. Enjoy and major thanks to **emptyvoices** for her help!


	13. Chapter Twelve

**Never…**

**Disclaimer: **I don't own anything related to _Red Eye_ or _Batman Begins_!

**Chapter Twelve**

"Let's get going." Bruce said, taking her shoulders and sweeping Amy out of the front door. "We can't be late."

"But, I don't want to go," Amy protested, furious that her escape plan was foiled. Now she would not be able to elude Jonathan and she would fall into his grasp once again. Even if he was only her uncle, there would be no one to stop him from reaching her. Her mother had murdered the one man that might have stood in his way; her father.

"Amy, Jonathan won't be able to hurt you. You won't even have to speak today. You just need to be present in the courtroom."

"He'll kill me!"

"Even Crane can't harm you in a public courtroom," Bruce reassured her. "I won't let him."

"Oh, he'll find a way. He always finds a way."

Bruce sighed. "Let's just go pick-up your belongings, okay? Then we can worry about the hearing."

Amy nodded weakly in agreement and followed Bruce to one of his expensive cars, which inhabited his garage. When going out in public, he always was careful to maintain a certain image, however around the manor; he appeared to be an entirely different man and not the risk-taking playboy as he was portrayed by the media. Amy knew deep in her heart that Bruce was a good man, but she could not help the fear she had of him.

Still, Amy was curious what the real Bruce behind the façade was like. She knew that she had yet to see the reality behind the image of charm he put on display and she worried that he might be just like Jonathan. Jonathan had spent his life building deceit behind a superficial mask of grace and charm. He hid his true intentions rather well. _Could Bruce be the same way?_

The car ride from Wayne Manor to Jonathan Crane's house was spent in complete silence. Bruce did not speak to Amy and she did not venture to strike up any conversation. The quiet environment was fine with her after the events of the past several hours. Confronting her past memories and subsequent fears had been exhausting to her.

They arrived in front of the modest house and Bruce helped Amy from the car. She was still carrying her battered backpack as she hesitantly approached Gordon, who was sitting on the front steps of the porch.

"Good morning, Amy," greeted a smiling Jim Gordon. "Ready for the big day?"

"What big day?" Amy inquired.

"Today is the day that we make the first major step towards locking Crane up for good. If it weren't for you, Amy, we would never have made it this far."

"You would have eventually gotten him for a double homicide," she snarled as she stormed past Gordon and into the house.

"Is something wrong?" Gordon asked Bruce quietly.

"She knows the truth about Jackson being her father now. In addition I had to draw some blood from her last night for Fox to run some pathology tests."

"Blood tests? That doesn't sound too bad."

"Usually it's not unless you are deathly afraid of needles because your psychopathic uncle decided to use you as a lab rat."

"Oh, true," Gordon responded sympathetically, understanding Amy's behavior completely now.

"She doesn't want to go to the hearing."

"Is she worried about Crane?"

"Of course she is and for good reason."

"What's the timeline on getting the results on her blood tests from Fox?"

"I don't know. I'm hoping we'll find out soon. The report is critical as evidence for the trial."

"Is he coming to the hearing?" Gordon asked, curious. Having Fox on their side for the trial would be invaluable.

"I do believe so."

Several more minutes passed with Gordon and Bruce continuing their small talk. They were both trying their best not to glance at their watches in impatience. Amy was hopefully gathering her meager belongings and changing into appropriate clothing for the hearing.

Finally, Amy emerged from the house, pulling the door shut behind her. Her ratty backpack was stuffed as she slung it across her shoulder as always and a worn duffle bag was clutched tightly in her right hand. She was dressed in a sharp business-style outfit complete with matching heels. The woolen dress pants hid the bruises and scrapes from her assault and the sleeves of her blazer covered all the marks on her arms. The blue blouse that she wore caused her eyes to stand out more vividly than usual. The dark bruises upon her neck were the only injuries she could not hide and stood out clearly against her pale skin.

"Ready?" Bruce inquired.

"As ready as I'll ever be," Amy answered glumly as she headed towards the car.

* * *

Amy huddled between Bruce and Rachel at one side of the packed courtroom while Dr. Jonathan Crane relaxed in a chair on the other side, dressed impeccably in a dark, tailored suit completed with a tie and sweater vest.

"Your Honor," Rachel began her opening statement. "Dr. Jonathan Crane has been subjecting the victim, Amy Crane to consistent abuse and other forms of reckless endangerment throughout her lifetime beginning from birth. We have records of him performing unethical experiments upon her using mind-altering drugs, as well as physically assaulting her, and encouraging her to engage in risky behavior. I am asking that this matter be brought to trial so this criminal can be locked away for the safety of her and the other citizens of Gotham. One only needs to take a look at her to see the harm he has inflicted upon her while she was in his care."

Amy quickly tuned Rachel's voice out, refusing to meet the stares she received from the various occupants of the courtroom. She felt Jonathan's harsh eyes upon her and she squirmed ever so slightly in her seat.

Suddenly, Jonathan's lawyer was speaking and he attempted to contradict every word that Rachel had said in her opening statement. She heard him bringing up her prior criminal record and possible mental instability due to the multiple suicide attempts. Crane's attorney knew that she was the leading witness in the case and he was doing everything in his limited power to discredit her.

Amy helplessly focused on the appearance of the Scarecrow mask of which Jonathan had purposely out on the table, lifting it subtly in order to catch her attention with it. He stroked the burlap while his lawyer spoke, making sure that she could see it clearly.

Amy's heart beat faster and her palms began to sweat. _No, I can't let him win. I can't react._

She swallowed hard and tried to ignore his penetrating gaze. But when Jonathan's lawyer picked up the mask to show it to the courtroom, it was hopeless and Amy started to shake.

"_Do you see this?" Jonathan asked her, the mask displayed in his hand._

_Amy nodded. It looked like a piece of burlap to her._

"_Do you know what it is?"_

_Amy shook her head 'no'._

_Jonathan yanked the mask on quickly and Amy jumped at the sudden movement. "What do you think now?" he asked her._

_Amy said nothing, wishing only for him to disappear. Jonathan gripped her arm forcing her to meet his penetrating stare._

"_Are you afraid yet?"_

"_No," Amy told him._

"_Don't worry. I can be sure to remedy that."_

"Scarecrow," Amy whimpered fearfully. "Scarecrow…"

Bruce's hand suddenly rested on her shoulder and Amy screamed. The entire courtroom turned to face her.

Tears were streaking down her cheeks as she huddled in her chair, rocking back and forth, muttering "Scarecrow".

The mask drew closer and Jonathan's lawyer was speaking to her. Amy did not hear his words. All she could see was the mask of the demon made of straw and feel the prick of the needles that caused her panic to surge forth. Distantly, she could hear her screams of unbridled terror.

Amy slipped forward in her seat, trying to seek shelter under the table. Her forehead struck the table edge as she fell down, down, down…

**Author's Notes:**

Jonathan is still finding ways to torment her. And Lisa's just a little too crazy to sit in court. The next chapter will hopefully be up soon. Thanks to **emptyvoices** for her help and also to everyone who has reviewed!


	14. Chapter Thirteen

**Never…**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything related to _Red Eye_ or _Batman Begins_!

**Chapter Thirteen**

Lisa Crane was pacing the floor of Rachel's small apartment. The kindly district attorney had offered to take her to the hearing, but Lisa had been forced to decline. She was nervous, edgy, and unable to sit for more than a few minutes at a time. Her dream about Jackson had unnerved her and Lisa felt like she was falling apart at the seams.

Jackson Rippner was dead and she had been the one to snatch his life away, even as he had planned to steal her freedom. She had foiled his plots without a second thought, but she loved him far too much to allow the pain to continue.

_Jackson__, I'm sorry. I really did love you. I still do. _

Sixteen long years had passed since Lisa had really thought about Jackson. She had dedicated her life to helping Jonathan with his work and allowed him to help her with Amy in return. There had been no chance to reflect on her past, especially since Jonathan and Lisa had worked to purge all memories of him. Jackson was supposed to be forgotten; a closed chapter in her life.

_Yet I can't forget you. Do you not want me to forget you or is it me? Do I not want to let go? _

She had never entirely come to terms with the red-eye flight from hell or her time with Jackson, doing the best she could to bury all thoughts of it deep inside of her, ignoring all the remnants of the past. Lisa had to separate herself from them or risk going insane. But that was unavoidable because she felt like she was going insane currently. Jonathan's medication had kept Jackson buried deeply within her and now he was free to torment her relentlessly.

_Once I have my medicine again, I'll be fine. Jonathan and I will go home and life will continue like normal. Amy will be moody, but we'll work that out and Jonathan will be busy at Arkham, while I stay at home with her. _

What was normal except an illusion? There was nothing normal about a husband with his strange hours and the fact that Amy had turned into a reckless teenager. Not to mention the therapy Jonathan conducted on her seemed to be increasing Amy's abnormal behavior rather than ending it. She failed to understand why there was a reversal in its effect.

Lisa was surprised that Amy had yet to succeed at killing herself as she seemed almost determined to die. _Why does she want to die?_ _Amy had a perfect life, so why end it_? _All of us do. Jonathan takes exceptional care of Amy and I. _

Jonathan had always treated her like a fragile doll. He cared for her feelings and listened to what she had to say. His rules might seem odd or eccentric, however Lisa knew that everything he did was in her best interest. Yet, with Jackson, there had always been an element of control and domination.

_But _ _Jackson__ loved me. He loved me even as I was killing him. He took care of me when I was sick. He comforted me during the nightmares and helped me to survive. _

Jonathan had helped her as well. He had forced Jackson from her mind. Except now, now the memories of Jackson were starting to return because Jonathan was not there to suppress them.

_Do I still love him? Even after everything? Is that possible? _

Jonathan was her husband now, not Jackson. Not anymore. Jackson was dead… dead, dead, dead!

_But I miss him. I love _ _Jackson__. I still love him. I wish he was here. _

Jackson however could not return. Jackson could never come back home. She had murdered him in cold blood. She had been the one to organize his funeral, pick his suit, and say her final good-bye as they closed the lid to his casket. She had buried Jackson Rippner alone and now he was refusing to remain dead.

_Why? Why come back? Why, _ _Jackson__? Wasn't tricking me enough? Wasn't stealing my sanity enough? Where does it end, _ _Jackson__? Does it end when I die, or will you haunt me there still? _

She could almost see his pale, slender hand reaching up from his grave to touch her. To play with her hair, cup her chin, stroke her cheek…

_He will never touch me again. I'll never see him or feel him again. _

There was a time over sixteen years ago that Lisa would have been eternally grateful to be rid of Jackson Rippner. Directly after the failed Keefe assassination, Lisa had never wanted to hear his name spoken again, not to mention seeing those brilliant blue eyes once more.

Now, all she wanted was Jackson back. She yearned for the charming man that she loved and who loved her in return. She yearned for Amy's father and her husband, without the darkness that was within him that irrevocably linked him to his job as an assassination manager.

_Why did this happen? Why did you have to be a killer? Why, _ _Jackson_

They could have been a happy family, knowing nothing of the problems she was faced with now. Lisa, Jackson, and Amy could have lived an easy, comfortable life in Miami. Instead, Jackson was resting six feet under in a grave in Miami, while Lisa was pacing in a strange apartment in Gotham where her wayward daughter was missing. Everything was falling apart and she knew that Jonathan was at his hearing for a crime that he did not commit.

_Surely, Jonathan did not harm her. Jonathan would never hurt her. He would never lay a hand on his daughter… _

But Amy was not Jonathan's daughter. She belonged to Jackson, who went to his death never knowing he was going to be a father.

_Would that have changed him? Would he have been a better father than Jonathan? Would Amy be different? Was it right to lie to her for all these years? _

No, it was never okay to lie. Jackson had taught her that, but still she had lied to Amy repeatedly. Jackson haunted her dreams, which was her punishment for the deceit she constantly told to their daughter. If Jackson were only still alive…

_He can't come back even if I wanted him to. Even if he wanted to... _

Jackson would never meet his daughter. Amy could never know her true father.

_I did it. I killed the only man I ever loved… _

She loved Jonathan though, right?

_No, I only ever loved one man. I only ever loved _ _Jackson__. My heart was his. I will never love Jonathan like I loved _ _Jackson__. I just wish he would return. _

_Correction. I need _ _Jackson__ back_. Without Jackson, the pain was too severe and the wound too deep. Only Jackson could restore her to the life she used to have.

_But that can't happen because he's dead. I killed him. I killed my husband! _

Without the medication, Lisa would be dead in a matter of days. Her heart could only take a limited amount of pain. The loss of Jackson twisted like a knife inside of her. It was slowly eating away at her from within her, killing her gradually. Jackson had taken her heart, her soul, and her life with him as he had fallen from the window. He had stripped away everything that meant anything to her from her body and his death had left a permanent hole in her heart. All she had left from him was Amy.

_But now I don't even have her. _

There was nothing left. There was no road to follow. Even if Jonathan was cleared, Lisa knew she could not return to that empty existence of their life. She had changed and she knew what she wanted but it was out of her reach.

_Please, _ _Jackson__, please come back to me. I need you now more than ever. _ _Jackson__, I love you and I want you. Don't leave me here alone! _

**Author's Notes:**

It seemed to be time to see Lisa and understand what she's going through. She still has yet to see what Jonathan has been doing to her and Amy. Enjoy and thanks to **emptyvoices** for her help! The next chapter should be up later today!


	15. Chapter Fourteen

**Never…**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything related to _Red Eye_ or _Batman Begins_!

**Chapter Fourteen**

"Amy? Are you all right?" Bruce's concerned voice floated softly into her ears.

The world was slowly coming into focus as the blurred images of Bruce and Rachel were gradually becoming sharper. She could see the worry etched upon both their faces.

"What… happened?" Amy asked quietly, raising a hand to her bruised forehead.

Bruce reached out, taking her arm and helped her sit up. "You hit your head on the table. Did something scare you?"

Amy's frightened blue eyes flicked over to where Jonathan was casually reclined in his seat, watching her with a look of triumph on his otherwise expressionless face.

"Miss Crane, do you think I might be able to continue with my opening statement?" Jonathan's attorney asked harshly, the Scarecrow mask dangling from his hand.

Amy yelped and buried her face in Bruce's shirt. Tears flooded from her eyes as she shivered quietly.

"Your Honor, may we be excused from the courtroom?" Bruce asked softly, as he put his arm around Amy in a comforting gesture.

"Of course, Mr. Wayne. You and Miss Crane are excused," the judge agreed.

"Come on, Amy. Let's get you home," Bruce told her, helping her to her feet and effectively obscuring her vision from Jonathan and his burlap mask. She trembled as he guided her from the courtroom and stumbled, her legs seeming unable to support her. His arms went around her, supporting her weight. "It's okay. I've got you."

Despite Bruce's hurried pace to remove her from the room, Amy glanced over tentatively to the back of the courtroom to see a pair of crystalline blue eyes that gazed at her unblinkingly among the midst of the semi-shocked crowds of people who were already observing the hearing. She shuddered. _It's not Jonathan…It can't be. He's still sitting in his chair up front. I must be seeing things… _

As Amy and Bruce exited the courtroom, Rachel sent a seething glare in Jonathan Crane's direction. The psychiatrist merely smiled diffidently at her, evidentially very pleased with Amy's unbalanced reaction that seemed to come out of nowhere. But Rachel knew what had set the poor girl off. It had been the absurd trick with the scarecrow mask. He had played upon her fear of Scarecrow discreetly and presented an unfavorable side of Amy to the court.

_I will get you. Don't think for one moment that you will get away from me._ Rachel swore. Jonathan Crane would pay dearly for what he had done and she would make sure of it.

* * *

Fox was entering the courthouse as Bruce was ushering Amy to his car.

"Mr. Wayne?" Fox called out running up to meet him.

"Fox, it's good to see you," Bruce responded and Amy glanced at Fox suspiciously.

"You must be Amy," Fox greeted her. "I happen to be a good friend of Bruce's."

"Hello," Amy muttered. She wanted to trust this man as well, but she was too shaken and distracted from dealing with the reappearance of that horrendous mask.

"I managed to synthesize an antidote to Crane's toxin," Fox said reassuringly, holding up a vial of clear liquid. "I must say that I had a particularly hard time synthesizing an antigen to the new compounds I found in Crane's toxin. If he had managed to keep them on it much longer, the damage would have been irreversible."

"After how long?"

"At best perhaps a year to three years. It depends on the individual and their immune system, but there is no doubt that the compounds were derived from toxic elements."

"Is it possible that death could result if not treated in time?" Bruce inquired.

"More then likely."

"Are you able to give Amy the antidote now?"

"Why now, Mr. Wayne? Is there some urgency?" Fox was curious. Amy was clearly in no state to receive an injection. The poor girl was trembling like a leaf caught in tumultuous breeze.

"Crane has managed to convince the entire courtroom that Amy was unstable. He found a way to manipulate her fears to emerge to damaging proportions," Bruce whispered to Fox. "Crane will most likely walk. There's no way the charges will stick now."

"I understand," Fox nodded, reaching for a syringe in his pocket. He quickly filled it with his antidote and tapped the syringe to dispel the air bubbles from it. "Amy, may I see your arm?"

"No… Scarecrow," she mumbled, feeling disorientated and scared.

Bruce managed to roll up Amy's sleeve as she started to protest, already struggling weakly against him, but Bruce wrapped his arms around hers, keeping a firm grip on her and knowing that she was not going anywhere. Fox sighed, hating having to traumatize her further, however he carefully injected the antidote into her arm.

Amy whimpered in pain. _No, stop. I'll behave, I swear. Please, don't… _

Bruce managed to catch her as she suddenly went limp in his arms. He was overcome with sympathy for her, but there was nothing else that he could do to help her. If Crane somehow was released, then Amy would need to have the immunity to his toxins. Of course, Bruce knew that Crane would be angry when he discovered what happened, but Bruce could not let her die a slow, agonizing death by Crane's repeated injections of his panic-inducing toxin.

* * *

The hearing of _The City of Gotham vs. Dr. Jonathan Crane_ was finally winding down. After Amy's outburst and sudden fall, Rachel had known that the case was lost. There was no way that anyone would believe Amy's testimony after her display of unstable behavior. Of course, that was exactly what Jonathan Crane had anticipated and Rachel was still determined to stop him. She had plowed on ahead despite the insurmountable odds, and now was awaiting the results.

"This matter will continue on to trial in a few weeks. Until then, bail is set for fifty thousand dollars. I expect that all witnesses will be fully advised and kept under better control when the actual trial commences," the judge announced, glancing directly at Rachel as he uttered the final statement.

_At least we managed to get a trial. _

Everyone stood up and Rachel angrily snapped her briefcase shut. At least he was locked up temporarily until he made bail. _If he makes bail… _

"A very commendable effort, Miss Dawes. But we both know how this will end," Crane whispered in her ear. Her right hand reflexively curled into a fist.

"With you going to prison for the rest of your miserable existence? Of course, Dr. Crane."

Jonathan chuckled wryly. "Such illusions don't suit you Miss Dawes. You cannot hope to alter what has already been set into motion. I will endeavor to finish what I started and perhaps you, Gordon, or Batman will be best advised to keep your distance. You will not be able to interfere, but only cause more grievous harm to those you care about. Maybe you should take that into consideration."

Rachel lifted her arm, ready to launch her fist into Crane's arrogant face. But a strong hand grasped her arm and Crane had already spun on his heel and was being escorted away.

"He's not worth it, so relax, Rachel. Besides he's wrong. There is someone who can stop him and I already have before. You can be certain that this time there will be no second chances," a smooth, melodic voice told her.

Rachel gasped and turned around instantly, hoping to see the identity of the stranger who had prevented her from striking Crane, but the man had already disappeared into the swift moving crowd. _Bruce? Was that you? _

She shook her head and continued gathering her belongings. She must have been hearing things due to the accumulated stress of the day. _Yes, I must have imagined Bruce preventing me from punching Crane's lights out… that's it. _

Yet, Rachel knew that someone had been there and had stopped her from acting irrationally. Whoever it was she knew with surety that she had never heard his voice before in her life. It was a stranger and obliviously not Bruce. He would have joined her in punching the bastard's face in had he been around.

_Then who? And why? _

**Author's Notes:**

Two chapters in one day. Go me! Can anyone guess who Rachel's savior is? Thanks to **emptyvoices** as well as everyone who has reviewed. Enjoy!


	16. Chapter Fifteen

**Never…**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything related to _Red Eye_ or _Batman Begins_!

**Chapter Fifteen**

In Miami, a weary Joe Reisert answered his ringing telephone. He had long since given up hope of ever hearing from Lisa again and for all things considered, she could be dead at this very moment.

"Hello?"

"Joe, where is she? Where is Lisa!" demanded a very familiar voice.

"What?"

"Goddamn it! Don't play games with me!"

"I'm not. Who is this?"

"I know that she's not in Miami. I've already been to the house. Now, where is she?"

"Who is this?" Joe asked cautiously. Even if he happened to know the whereabouts of his daughter, he was not about to tell an irate stranger.

"I can tell you who it's not. I'm not Jonathan Crane."

"Then who are you?"

"Joe," the man was insistent. "Tell me where she is. All I want is to get Lisa and Amy back. I want my family and I happen to know you have some idea of where they are."

" Jackson?" Joe was shocked. _I have to be hearing things. Jackson Rippner is dead… I saw him in the casket. Jim and I exhumed it sixteen years ago. _

"The one and only. Now, tell me, where is my wife? Where is Lisa?"

* * *

The phone call had been a week earlier. Ever since then, he had been trying to trace his brother's movements and find his family.

Jackson Rippner had spent the past sixteen years working for the CIA. After his so-called death, as arranged by his demented twin, changing sides had been the only way for him to protect Lisa and their child from his former employers. _If only it had protected them from Jonathan as well… _

Amy. Lisa had bestowed the false name that he had created those many years ago in the hospital upon their only child. Amy Alison Rippner was the spitting image of him, with Lisa's fiery temper and innate beauty thrown into the mix. Yet her life, as well as Lisa's, was in danger. His twin brother had taken advantage of his absence to steal his family from him for the sole purpose of tormenting them for his own sadistic pleasure.

Jackson had to end Jonathan's reign of terror once and for all. He was the only one who could prevent his brother from destroying the only family he had.

He had been the one to entrust Lisa to his care and his faith in his brother nearly cost him his life. Now, it seemed that his brother had finally gone insane and was taking all of his rage out on his defenseless family.

That was of no consequence to Jackson because Jonathan would get what he deserved as soon as Jackson located Lisa and Amy. When he found out that Amy was still with Bruce Wayne, he felt some measure of reassurance. Hopefully, the rich playboy would keep his daughter safe from Crane.

_Leese, where are you? Why are you hiding from me? _

Jackson longing for his wife had increased over all the years as he was forced to break contact with them. It had never been easy for him to leave Lisa, and now it was only getting more difficult.

_What have the years done to you? What has he done to you? Do you have more scars because of him? Do you even remember me? _

The toxin that Crane had given him was supposed to erase his memory of his family. His contacts in the CIA had finally told him about his family when the effects began to wear off. His associates within the agency had kept watch on his small family for years. He was forbidden to come near them or even see photographs of them for the last sixteen years. But the downfall of his former employers had brought Jackson Rippner back from the grave.

He shed his persona of CIA agent Jeremy Rose (he could not bring himself to change his initials, because that would mean losing his wallet and the old photographs of Lisa) immediately. He was once again Jackson Rippner for the first time in sixteen years.

And his first order of business was to kill his brother.

* * *

" Jackson?" Lisa called out quietly. "Where are you?"

_A fight between two men had broken out. One of them had black hair and was lanky. The other was __Jackson__ and there was a dead body on the floor. It was someone from Jonathan's work and she was covered in blood. _

_"_ _Jackson__! Jonathan! Please!" she was begging. _

_A cloud of gas descended upon her. Lisa fell to the ground gasping and choking. _

_"I told you to leave her alone!" __Jackson__ was yelling. "No one touches her!" _

_Jonathan's sinister smile appeared from the cloud. Lisa screamed because he was drenched in blood and so was __Jackson_

"No!" Lisa screamed as she snapped back to reality. _It was only a dream, only a dream. It wasn't real. Jonathan and Jackson were never even in the same room together, let alone our house that terrible morning. _

The front door swung open and in Rachel Dawes stalked into the room. She had never seen the attorney so enraged before.

"Get out," Rachel hissed. "Go see your precious husband. I hope you're very happy together once he kills your daughter!"

Lisa was startled. _What is she talking about? _

"They are releasing Jonathan on bail. You might want to hurry there with the money, Mrs. Crane. Wouldn't want Jonathan to be angry at you, now would we?" Rachel continued on, sarcasm grating throughout her voice.

"How did the hearing go?" Lisa managed to choked out.

"Peachy. Just peachy. Guess who hurt your daughter and drove her insane? "

_"Peachy," __Jackson__ told her in the confines of the airplane bathroom. _

Lisa shook her head. _Not now!_

"Jonathan?" Lisa ventured. Surely he had not…

"Bingo! Now get out!"

Lisa did not get a chance to say another word before Rachel had shoved her out and slammed the solid oak door in her face. Something Jonathan had done had upset the usually even-tempered woman. _But what? _

All she knew was that an angry Jonathan was sitting in a jail cell, awaiting her arrival with the money to free him.

_Now's not the time to worry about that. I just need to get Jonathan out before he hurts me again… Again? _

**Author's Notes:**

That's right, Jackson's still alive. The truth behind his so-called death will be revealed in time. Poor Lisa is confused about the details thanks to Jonathan. We'll find out soon. And Amy will be back in the next chapter, I promise. Enjoy and major thanks to **emptyvoices**!


	17. Chapter Sixteen

**Never…**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything related to _Red Eye_ or _Batman Begins_!

**Chapter Sixteen**

Amy awoke in what had come to be 'her' room at Wayne Manor. She had been tucked under the covers with her shoes on the floor beside the bed as was her usual habit. She rolled up the sleeve of her jacket and frowned at the puncture mark from the needle in her arm. She could vaguely remember Bruce restraining her and his friend Fox forcibly giving her an injection. _Was it really an antidote? _

Amy surely did not feel any differently. She was not overtly nervous and jumping at shadows for the moment, but did that mean anything at all?

A voice drifted in from the hallway. It was Bruce. "Rachel just called. Crane's made bail."

"Are you sure?" Jim Gordon asked.

"Positive. Lisa Crane walked in with the money in hand and he was released just a thirty minutes ago."

"How long do we have before he tries to get Amy?"

"Not long unfortunately. Technically, he is still her legal guardian," Bruce sighed dejectedly.

"Should we warn her?"

"No, I don't want to worry her. I promised to keep her safe and I will. Crane won't touch her here."

Amy was already digging into her duffel bag, searching for a change of clothes. If she moved quickly, she could steal a car from Bruce and be out of Gotham within an hour or so. Then, she could head to Miami, where she at least knew the area. She would find a hotel for the night and continue her escape the following morning. She could easily dodge Jonathan Crane temporarily as long as she stayed moving. She could dye her hair, change her name, change her style of clothing and do whatever it would take to avoid him.

If her father ever caught up with her, she was dead.

_No, not my father…my uncle. My Uncle Jonathan. My father is dead and buried in _ _Miami__. I should go and see him. Or at least his grave. _

Amy suddenly knew her destination. She would flee to Miami to find her father's resting place, and then spend the night nearby. Surely, his ghost would protect her in someway from his homicidal brother. Even Jonathan would not be able to fight a ghost.

_As if he ever cared about me! What kind of father leaves you with a lunatic? _

She slipped on a pair of fresh jeans, a dark blue tee-shirt, and a jean jacket while she pulled on her sneakers. No matter what it took, she would not allow Jonathan to take her. She shoved the rest of her belongings into the duffel bag and tossed her worn backpack on her shoulder. The voices had faded away, but Amy was still not about to risk the hallways. Instead, she opened the doors to the balcony and stepped outside.

Sure enough, there was a pillar leading down from the balcony. Amy quietly tossed her duffel down to the grass and swung over the rail. Once on the other side, she carefully shimmied down the marble pillar and landed lightly on her feet in the yard. She collected her bag and raced to the garage. Once inside the garage, she spotted all the car keys dangling from a rack with each one labeled. She would need something fast and reliable.

Without a second thought, she snatched up the key to a sports car and dashed towards it. She flung her duffel into the seat beside her and inserted the car key into the ignition. She started the car and headed down the driveway, praying that Bruce remained inside. The gate was open and no one stopped her as she sped down the road that led out of Gotham.

* * *

Hours later, exhausted but exhilarated, Amy Crane was deep in downtown Miami. She had opened her backpack and found the article that described the location of Jackson Rippner's funeral. She managed to find the cemetery and was now parking in front of the iron gates. She raised the roof of Bruce's car and locked the doors, pocketing the keys while she grabbed her backpack. _Time to go exploring…_

Amy climbed the imposing gate and dropped down on the other side. She had come too far to let something as minuscule as a tall gate stop her now. Her heart was pounding in anticipation. This was it. She was going to finally meet her real father, not the pretend one that she had spent the last sixteen years with.

Amy searched the graves, her eyes squinting in the darkness. _When did the moon rise? _

Finally, she stumbled upon the correct grave. The marble headstone was worn but smooth to the touch. Amy ran her hand over it, shivering at the coolness of the marble beneath her skin. She lazily traced the writing and then plopped down on the ground beside it.

_Jackson Rippner _

_1976-2006 _

_You will be sorely missed. _

Amy sighed. There was nothing more on the gravestone than the simple, lackluster epitaph. That was hardly a clue as to the kind of man her father had been. _Not even as much as a 'loving husband', huh? _

She stretched out beside the grave, resting her head on her backpack as a pillow. She turned her head to face the headstone.

"Hi dad," she began. If it felt odd to be conversing with a grave however her expression did not reflect it. "It's me, Amy. You know; the daughter that you left with the psycho? Yeah. Well, guess what? He hasn't managed to kill me yet. So if that's what you were aiming for, that's just too damn bad."

There was no response. Only silence.

_Come on Crane, what were you expecting? A ghostly whisper? That's so not gonna happen…_

Amy released a deep sigh. "Why'd you have to die? Like mom could seriously kill you. She couldn't even kill an ant if she tried. Did he have something to do with it? Was he jealous of you? Did he kill you and blame it on mom?"

She chatted with Jackson, the dead father that she had never met and knew absolutely nothing about. She talked with him until long after her eyes finally closed and her voice began cracking from exhaustion.

For the first time in a long time, Amy slept peacefully and soundly without drugs, medicine, or being knocked unconscious. As she started to drift on a wave of sleep, a stray remnant of thought crept into her mind.

_Good night, daddy… _

**Author's Notes:**

Okay, I think I might post again later tonight or very early tomorrow morning. I'll be in New York until very late on Wednesday, but I'll try to finish hand writing (maybe typing if I can bring my laptop) the rest of the story. There's only another 4 chapters and maybe an epilogue left. Thanks to **emptyvoices** and everyone who has reviewed. Enjoy!


	18. Chapter Seventeen

**Never…**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything related to _Red Eye_ or _Batman Begins_!

**Chapter Seventeen**

"Good morning, daddy," Amy mumbled to the gravestone as she stretched upon the damp bed of grass beneath her. "Thank you for keeping me from him."

"I just wish I could have come sooner," a voice responded behind her.

Amy jumped up suddenly. _Is that his ghost? God, I've really lost it now. _

"Dad? Is that you?"

"Yes, Amy, it's me," Jackson Rippner's voice said.

"Where were you when I needed you? Where were you when he was tormenting me and I needed you to stop him! Why did you leave Mom and I with him?"

Amy heard him sigh. "I'm sorry, Amy. I never meant to hurt you or Lisa. I love you both. I wasn't made aware of what a creep Jon was until it was too late. I'm so sorry…"

"Did he kill you because you tried to protect us?"

"It's a bit more complicated than that…"

"No, it's not. Did Uncle Jonathan kill you? Or was it really mom?" Amy demanded. It was time for some real answers. _I have to know the truth._

"Lisa thinks that she killed me and Jonathan encouraged it. But I was never really dead."

"What do you mean? I'm standing at your grave!" Amy was confused. _Was his spirit insane as well?_

"Look behind you," he said softly. Amy whirled around and came face to face with him for the first time. They had identical blue eyes and brown hair, but his was the face of the man she had come to fear.

Amy screamed and immediately reeled backwards into the headstone. _He's going to kill me! Jonathan found me!_

"Amy, please don't scream. I won't hurt you. I would never hurt you…" Jackson's melodious voice was soothing and Amy wanted to trust him but Jonathan had betrayed her far too often. This was most likely another trick he so relished playing on her.

She was shaking violently. A pained look crossed his face. "Trust me, Amy," he told her. "I never lie."

"You're supposed to be dead! How is that not a lie?" She finally managed to ask.

"It was to protect you and Lisa. Jonathan convinced me to disappear for your benefit and he assisted me in the cover up. But it was just a ruse for him to get to you and Lisa. He was never concerned with helping me. Jonathan tricked me just like he keeps deceiving you."

"I don't believe you, _JONATHAN_!" Amy spat, swinging her bag at Jackson's face to throw him off balance as she started to dart away. _He has to be lying! Jackson Rippner is dead!_

Jackson was momentarily stunned, but he quickly recovered and tore after his runaway daughter. He had to protect her from Jonathan. _I can't let him hurt her again! I have to find Lisa! _

"Amy, you can't hide from me!" Jackson called after her, making his way through the cemetery in search of her.

She knew that he was right. She could only manage to evade him for a short period of time. If she could just make it over the gate, then she could hide in the car. She knew that once there, her chances of escaping Jonathan would increase.

"Amy, just relax." he pleaded. "Stop running. I just want my family back. All I want it for you and Lisa to come home."

_Was he Jonathan? Or was he Jackson? How am I supposed to tell? _

Amy clamored over to the gate. She could hear the sound of raspy breathing and she turned to see that he was right behind her and he was gaining on her with every stride. She fumbled with the car keys to unlock the door, her sweaty palms making her attempts clumsy. He finally caught up to her as she tried to open the driver's side door and he grabbed her arms, turning her around as he slammed her back into the car door. She cried out in pain as she fought wildly against the firm grip he had on her arms.

"Don't fight me, Amy. I don't want to hurt you and I need you to trust me. I'm your father. My name is Jackson Rippner. I'm not Jonathan. I swear."

"Liar!" snarled Amy, struggling against his hold. _I'm so close! Let me go! Get away from me! Let me go while I still have a chance!_

"I never lie, Amy. NEVER."

"I don't believe you," she said, shaking her head.

"Do you want proof, Amy? Is that what you want?"

"Yes," Amy mumbled as she finally ceased her struggle. Despite whoever he claimed to be, she knew he was far too strong for her to fight in her weakened state.

"You'll have to come with me. So, Amy do we have a deal? Will you get into the car on your own or am I going to have to force the matter?"

"I can do it myself," she snapped bitterly.

"Peachy," Jackson smirked, as he gripped her chin, lightly caressing her cheek in a manner reminiscent of how he had done so to her mother's all those years ago.

Amy cringed at his touch and slid into the car after he opened the doors. She knew that she should escape, but she had little doubt he would catch up to her again and probably hurt her in the process. She would have to play along with his game for the time being. When she had a chance, she would take it and get away permanently. _Jonathan won't catch me._

* * *

Jackson pulled Bruce's car up in front of a neatly kept house in downtown Miami just a few minutes away from the airport, which she determined by the distant sound of planes taking off overhead. It was evident that Jackson had been here before, but somehow she could tell that he did not seem to live here.

"Don't get cute, Amy." He warned as he helped her from the car, holding her arm tightly. _If I lose her, I'll lose Lisa as well. I can't lose them both._

He proceeded to drag her across the front lawn despite her repeated protests and rapped sharply on the solid oak door. The door did not open right away, but the sound of footsteps left little doubt that someone was checking to see who they were.

"Yes?" a man's voice inquired.

"It's just me, Joe. It's Jackson. Could you open the door?"

"Why? So you can kill me too like you did Lisa?" The man responded and Amy noticed that Jackson was rolling his blue eyes.

"She's still alive, Joe. Your daughter is still alive. I promise."

"What reason would I have to believe you?"

"Ask your granddaughter. She's standing right here. I'm sure Amy wouldn't dare lie about whether or not her mother is alive, though I'm sure she'd beg to differ about her father…"

"Amy?"

"She's with me, Joe. Can we come in?"

Something Jackson had said did the trick. The front door swung open and Amy caught her first ever glimpse of Joseph Reisert. For all of these years, she had believed that her only family was her mother and Jonathan. But now, her 'father' was alive and now she discovered she had a grandfather.

_A family? Is it really true that I actually have a real family? _

**Author's Notes:**

Okay, I managed to get this up tonight. One less thing for me to worry about tomorrow. Enjoy and I'll try to have the next chapter typed and ready to go for Thursday morning. We'll see. It all depends on if I can actually get anything done on our 4 ½ hr bus ride tomorrow up and then back. Ah, the joys of high school trips. Thanks again to **emptyvoices**!


	19. Chapter Eighteen

**Never…**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything related to _Red Eye_ or _Batman Begins_!

**Chapter Eighteen**

"You're the spitting image of him!" cried Joe joyously as he embraced Amy tightly. "But you look so much like her!"

"Hello," Amy said softly, blushing. She had never been much of a hugger because Jonathan had never dared show affection to her unless it was to put on a show for the public. Earlier in Amy's life, Lisa had attempted to show her feelings for her, but Jonathan had always punished them for it.

"I hate to break-up the party, but I really need to find Lisa before he kills her," Jackson said, his tone even, not skipping a beat. _I love her far too much and he knows it. He'll most likely kill her before he lets me talk to her again._

"Grandpa?" Amy asked hesitantly and Joe nodded. She was purposefully ignoring her father, much to his annoyance. "Who is he?"

Joe, who was still struggling to hold back the tears in his eyes from meeting his granddaughter for the first time, responded quietly. "Amy, that's your father. His name is Jackson Rippner. I thought that he was dead too, but he's really alive. Jonathan Crane helped to create the illusion that he died before you were born. But none of that really happened."

"Then where were you?" Amy screamed, whirling around to glare openly at her father. Her hands were on her hips and as she stared defiantly at him. "Especially when we needed you? Where the hell were you?"

"It's not that simple…" Jackson began to say but Amy quickly cut him off.

"You left us with _him_! He was going to kill us!"

"Amy, I didn't know—"

"That he was a twisted bastard? You didn't know your own brother, Dad? Huh?"

"About you," he said solemnly. "I didn't know that he was harming you. I'm so sorry."

Amy stared at him. _How could he not know? If he was alive how could he let this happen? What kind of man is he?_

"I didn't even know my name for the past several years. Jonathan convinced me to join the CIA in order to protect you and Lisa. We came up with an elaborate scheme of getting my former associates to think I had died—which of course failed—but not before he overdosed me with a mind-altering drug. He purposely wiped all my memories of you and Lisa."

_Jonathan hurt him too… He stole everything that meant something from my father. He stole his life._

Jackson swallowed hard before continuing. "I spent the past sixteen years as CIA Agent Jeremy Rose. All I had of my old life was a wedding ring and old photos of Lisa in my wallet. When I finally remembered the truth, my team was in the middle of bringing down my old employers and I was expressedly forbidden to contact or even see photos of you."

"You could've found a way to help us!" Amy protested. _How could he ignore us?_

"Amy," Joe said soothingly. "I hoped that he would have done so too, but you have to understand that the CIA is extremely rigid on this matter."

"Why are you defending him?"

"I'm not. I'm trying to understand both of your points. I trust that Jackson would never want to hurt Lisa. His death nearly broke her completely and I'm assuming that it hurt him just as much. Or I want to believe that," Joe was shooting glances at a silent Jackson.

Amy eyed him warily. _I want to believe him, but how can I after all that's happened? He could have stopped it!_

"Amy, there was nothing I could do without forfeiting my life. Jonathan would have won if I had attempted anything," Jackson explained.

"How could you even leave us in the first place?" Amy demanded of him.

"To protect you. All I cared about was keeping Lisa and you safe. You weren't even born when I planned this. Everything else did not matter."

"What about this Jonathan?" Joe wanted to know, spitting the psychiatrist's name out.

"I never knew his plans. He managed to lie quite efficiently in front of me."

"But he killed you."

"Tried and failed," Jackson said with a grim smile.

"So who's buried in the grave?" Amy asked curiously.

"A ringer—courtesy of the CIA."

"And mom? Did you tell her? Does she know that you're alive?"

Amy wanted nothing more then to finally have a family. She wanted to have a caring mother and father that were unafraid of showing affection to her. Desperately, she wanted to feel safe again.

"I wanted to, but Jon convinced me not too. I trusted the bastard." Jackson seemed disgusted with his obvious deceit.

"Will you kill him?" Joe wanted to know. He was quite good at mediating between Jackson and Amy, allowing them to talk openly. He knew the importance of communication and he wanted to let his granddaughter and son-in-law have a chance to bond for the first time.

"After I find Lisa, yes. But not until she's safely at home."

"Fox made an antidote," Amy told him eagerly. "She'll need it to stay safe from him."

"Amy," Jackson asked quietly. "Do you know where she is?"

"I heard Bruce say that she had bailed Jonathan out and she had been staying at Rachel Dawes' place in the meantime."

"Listen to me, okay? I need you to stay here with Joe while I go and retrieve Lisa. You are not to leave this house," ordered Jackson.

"But—"

"It's for your own good, Amy. I can't let him find you."

Amy nodded and Jackson smiled slightly at her before turning and hurrying out the door. Amy sighed dejectedly. _They always leave me in the end, once they get what they want._

Her own father had used her as a source of information which was all he wanted. All he cared about was her mother and she felt rage burn inside her knowing that Jackson had never cared about her.

_He's a liar…_ _just like Jonathan. _

* * *

_I'll find the brat, even if it's the very last thing I ever do._

Amy Rippner was going to die as soon as he found her. The little bitch was far too troublesome and had to be dealt with right away.

_Where would she go?_

Miami. She would run home and find Lisa's father. Amy had no money and nowhere else to go. That was the only place that she could possibly run to and Jonathan was already well aware that she had managed to escape from Wayne Manor. He had observed the mansion from a distance to see the police patrolling the home as well as the surrounding areas of Gotham City. He smiled at Amy's apparent lack of judgment. _I'll find her. She can't hide forever. Amy was never very good at hide-and-seek. _

**Author's Notes:**

Well, I survived getting drenched in New York. The play, _Wicked, _was EXCELLENT! But my moronic classmates were no fun. It's nearly impossible to write while dealing with teens on a Starbucks high. It doesn't work very well. But I finished my rough draft of the rest of the story and it will be finished by Saturday. If all goes well that is. Thanks to everyone who has reviewed and special thanks to **emptyvoices** for her help. Enjoy!


	20. Chapter Nineteen

**Never…**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything related to _Red Eye_ or _Batman Begins_!

**Chapter Nineteen**

Amy and Joe chatted at length about Lisa and Jackson because Amy was determined to find out everything that she could about her past. Her inquisitive nature was equally matched by Joe's curiosity, who in turn wanted to learn all about her.

"You look exhausted," Joe remarked as Amy yawned.

"Well, I feel like I was hit by a truck. That's what I get for spending the night in a cemetery sleeping on top of a grave."

"Why don't you go and take a nap in Lisa's old room? It's upstairs and to the right." He suggested.

"Okay," Amy agreed, stifling a yawn as she shuffled off from the living room, too exhausted to argue.

Joe sighed as he watched her retreat. Having Amy with him was not the same as Lisa returning home, but at least it was a step in the right direction. Hopefully, Jackson could find his daughter and bring her back alive. Oddly enough, he trusted the ex-assassination manager with Lisa's life because he knew now that Jackson cared for Lisa just as much as he did.

A loud knock at the door caught Joe's attention. _Was _ _Jackson__ back already? That was rather quick._

Joe ambled over to the front door and looked outside through the peephole. He caught sight of familiar dark hair and eagerly opened the door. "Jack—"

He was hastily shoved aside to the wall by Jonathan Crane and before Joe could stop him, the distempered psychiatrist cracked him over the head with his briefcase. Joe crumpled to the ground unconscious and Jonathan coolly stepped over him. He then proceeded to straighten his tie and smooth his jacket before heading upstairs to where Amy was sleeping.

Amy did not even get a chance to scream before he cruelly rendered her unconscious as well. Jonathan was not in the mood to struggle to subdue his feisty niece and had decided to bypass that step of her capture. _But soon, she will never fight again…_

Jonathan gathered up the unconscious teenager and made his way out of the house, unceremoniously dumping her in the car as he smiled menacingly in triumph. _I will kill you before the day ends. I promise._

* * *

Jackson disarmed Jonathan's various security systems with practiced ease and slipped undetected into the Cranes' house. His twin had stolen his designs for the alarms, thereby making his unlawful entry child's play.

Lisa dropped her tea mug when she looked up and saw him standing there. The ceramic mug shattered upon impact with the hard tile floor, but neither Lisa nor Jackson seemed to notice as they gazed at each other in apparent shock and disbelief.

"Oh God, Jackson!" Lisa exclaimed, making the first move. She slowly stepped towards him and reached out to touch his face, hesitantly trying to confirm that he was real. "I thought you were dead!"

"No, Leese. I'm very much alive and still in love with you," he responded with a smile as he reached out to touch her cheek. Lisa trembled instinctively as his hand grazed her skin.

He frowned. _What did that sick bastard do to her?_

It had been sixteen long years ever since the tragedy that had torn the two apart. He remembered the very day of Amy's birth, the time that Jackson had last seen Lisa. He could not stop himself from sneaking into the room to be with her when Jonathan had left the room for a moment. Jonathan had told Lisa it was merely a hallucination every time that he had made an attempt to visit her since his 'death'.

He had never wanted to lose Lisa and now that they were reunited, he adamantly refused to ever let go of her again.

"Lisa, please come home with me and Amy."

"What about Jonathan?" she inquired fearfully.

"We have a score to settle. Did he hurt you?"

She shuddered in response to the question and Jackson immediately put his arms around her quivering body which to his distress; caused her tremors to increase. She seemed to be unable to bear his touch.

"Yes," she answered quietly.

"What did he do to you?"

Jackson's right hand drifted downwards towards her waist and she yelped at the lingering touch. Backing away from him, she trembled in absolute panic. "No, I can't," she was whispering.

"Lisa, did he…" Jackson was unable to get the words out. _No, he wouldn't do that, would he? He wouldn't have sunk that low._

Lisa nodded, feeling numb inside. Jackson's face fell and rage traversed him once more. Jonathan had betrayed him in more ways than he had imagined. "Leese, I'm so sorry…"

Jackson stepped towards her and she cowered back in fear. Her shivers increased with each step that he took until he finally reached her and awkwardly pulled her into his arms once more. She tried to fight his embrace, but he was not about to let go of her. "Relax, Lisa. It's going to be all right. It's only me and I would never hurt you," he soothed.

"I know."

"I wish had been here to stop him."

"It was beyond your control," she said emptily.

Jackson nodded and rubbed her back.

" Jackson, you have no idea how much I've missed you!" Lisa said as she started to weep as her tremors finally began to cease.

"I've missed you too. I never wanted to leave you, Leese but I promise I'll never leave you again."

Jackson and Lisa stood there a long time, holding each other, simply praying that their nightmare was finally coming to an end.

_It will end. I will kill him for what he's done. He'll be begging for death by the time I'm through with him. He'll never hurt them again._

**Author's Notes:**

Jonathan's an all-around creep. This story is almost at the end! One more chapter and an epilogue. Enjoy and major thanks to **emptyvoices**!


	21. Chapter Twenty

**Never…**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything related to _Red Eye_ or _Batman Begins_!

**Chapter Twenty**

Jackson and Lisa arrived back at Joe's only to find the front door was left wide open. Jackson, immediately suspicious, cautiously placed himself in front of Lisa and slipped a gun out from underneath his jacket. His aim had improved considerably over the years and a gun was more threatening to an intruder than his knife would be. Lisa did not see the gun as she was focusing only on her father who lay motionless on the floor.

"Dad!" cried Lisa, bending down to check his pulse. "Daddy!"

"Leese," Jackson called to her, pulling a note down from the wall.

Lisa breathed a sigh of relief as she noticed that Joe was still breathing and hurried to Jackson's side. "What is it?"

"He took her," Jackson said bitterly. "He took Amy."

"But why?" she asked despairingly.

"He wants you, Leese. He wants you to join him and he'll let her go."

Tears began to fill Lisa's eyes and Jackson did not feel the need to tell her that if they refused, Jonathan would murder Amy. It was an absolute given. Jackson tried to comfort Lisa, but he knew that there was nothing that he could say or do for her except get their daughter back.

_I won't let him destroy my family again. Never again will he hurt them. I'll kill him for what he's done. _

"We'll get her back," Jackson promised and she nodded.

"How?"

"I have to kill him, Lisa. That's the only way. This has to end now."

Lisa sighed. "Just get Amy back. I don't care anymore. Do whatever it takes to get her away from him."

"I will."

* * *

Bruce Wayne was furious. Livid actually.

_How could she slip out undetected? I was supposed to protect her! _

"Crane's gone," Rachel sighed, sitting down on a couch as he paced the floor like a caged animal.

"What do you mean gone?"

"There's no one at home. Lisa Crane is missing too. All Gordon found was a broken mug and a stained carpet."

"Any blood?" _Did Crane capture them both? Is he taking them to some remote place to kill them? _

"None."

"Was anything different about the house? Anything at all?" Bruce was curious. Something, no matter how insignificant, might lead to a clue.

"Well, the security system was down. Someone bypassed it from the outside," Rachel shrugged.

"Have you told Gordon about this yet?"

"No, why?"

"Why would Jonathan Crane bypass his own security system from the outside if he knew the code?" Bruce responded, already dialing Gordon's number.

* * *

"Jonathan, I knew you'd come back!" cried Dr. Betsy Gruber, throwing the door open to her office.

"Be quiet," growled Jonathan. "And help me."

Taken aback, Betsy closed her mouth awkwardly and helped Jackson carry in the unconscious girl he had in his arms.

"Is she dead?" she asked quietly.

"In due time. I suppose all good things come to those who wait."

"She's just a child!"

"Since when did you acquire such an ambivalent attitude?" snapped Jonathan. "You've provided assistance to me for all these years and just recently you decidedly choose to have a sense of morals?

Betsey fell silent again. She really did not comprehend him at times. _Why did I fall into this relationship in the first place? _

"Is that the girl? The annoying brat you speak so often of?"

"Finally, it dawns on you!" teased Jonathan sarcastically.

"Once you get rid of her, will you be able to stay with me?"

"I still have to contend with her mother."

"Oh. The _wife._" Betsey sounded bitter. Why Jonathan was still with that woman was beyond her comprehension.

Jonathan did not respond. Instead, he started rifling through the drawers.

"Can you try not destroy this place?" Betsey asked, irked by his sudden appearance with his pest of a niece. Had he come alone to the door, she would have been much more pleased.

"Where's the toxin?" he demanded, glaring at her.

Betsey pulled open a drawer that Jonathan had yet to reach and handed him a zippered case filled with needles. A wide smile contorted his face as his fingertips brushed the syringes and vials, lovingly.

He filled one and carefully flicked the air bubbles from it. He then bent down over Amy and injected the toxin into her vein. He bypassed the first drug and moved on to the second containing the hallucinogenic effect that he needed. Then he refilled the syringe, ready to increase her dosage to an unsafe level if Lisa dared to stand him up.

Either way, Amy was as good as dead. Even if Lisa returned to him, the brat would still die, but at a slower and far more agonizing pace as the poison would course through her system gradually destroying her mind. Amy was dangerous and he needed to neutralize her permanently. However, Lisa was an increasing threat as well.

No matter. All of his problems would be solved before the end of the night.

* * *

Lisa wandered up to the office on her own. Jackson was lurking around nearby, searching for a back way in and despite her fear, she trusted him to get them both out of this desperate situation. Yet it unnerved her completely at the thought of seeing Jonathan again. There was no telling what he would do to her.

She raised her fist and knocked on the door for her old therapist. Dr. Betsey Gruber, the woman who had referred her to Jonathan all those years ago. Apparently she was friends with him and he had instructed that their meeting take place there. _Why not back at home? _

The door swung open and he jerked her inside. "Don't scream," Jonathan ordered, clamping a hand over her mouth. "At least not yet."

Lisa struggled against him and elbowed him hard in the stomach. He swore slightly and released her momentarily. She spun around as she allowed her head to collide with his and then swiftly delivered a knee to the groin while he was dazed. Jonathan fell to the floor in pain, but as she tried to run to find Amy, his hand snaked up and grabbed her ankle.

With a cry, Lisa was dragged down and Jonathan climbed on top of her, pinning her to the floor. He was clearly still in pain, but had been driven into a rage that she had never before witnessed. She struggled to fend him off and bit his wrist when his hand lingered too close to her mouth. He slapped her in response.

Grinning, Jonathan stuffed his tie in her mouth to muffle her screams and looped a piece of twine from his pocket cruelly around her wrists. Lisa suddenly knew what he intended to do. He was going to torture and kill her. He had never planned on letting Amy go free.

She twisted and writhed under his hold, prompting him to place his hands around her throat to throttle her. Her lungs screamed for air and dark spots started to infiltrate her vision but Lisa knew that she had to keep fighting._ I have to beat him. _

The world was getting fuzzy when suddenly a dark shape yanked Jonathan off her and she spat the tie out and gasped for air.

_Jackson_ Her oxygen starved brain rejoiced.

"I was wondering when I might see you again. However your timing leaves a little to be desired as I'm already currently a bit behind schedule," Jonathan teased. "I hope you don't mind terribly if I kill your family. After all, you were the one to abandon them in the first place."

"Only after you lied to me!" snarled Jackson, wrestling with his slender twin.

"And your point?"

"I would never hurt them."

"But you already have."

"No more," Jackson swore, reaching for his knife. Jonathan's chilling blue eyes caught sight of the 12-inch blade.

"Jack the Ripper—I see that you are finally living up to your namesake."

"I don't prey on defenseless women like you, Crane. I'm above that."

"And you believe that somehow makes you a saint, doesn't it?" sneered Jonathan, unafraid. _I doubt he has the guts to do it. _

"No, ridding the world of you does."

Jackson slashed at Jonathan, who deflected the blow with his arm. The blade sliced through his jacket and nicked his skin, drawing blood. Jonathan frowned and rolled out of the path of Jackson's furious second attack.

It was a sickening dance of death that they were involved in. Both of the brothers knew that only one of them would walk away alive from the fight.

Lisa crawled across the floor. She could see the empty syringe gleaming at her and Amy's unconscious body lay near it. There was no doubt that whatever Jonathan had given her was for the intention of killing her daughter._ Then it will hopefully work on him. There is only one way of finding out. _

Wrists still bound, she grasped the needle and painstakingly made her way back to them. When Jonathan came her way to avoid another blow from Jackson, Lisa struck. She stabbed the needle into his neck and depressed the plunger. Jonathan shuddered violently as the toxin entered his bloodstream.

Jackson seized his chance to cut a neat hole in his brother's windpipe. "You wanted to be just like me, remember?"

Jonathan's icy blue eyes rolled back into his head as the toxin began to take affect. He was shaking.

"How does it feel now, doc?" sneered Jackson. "To be the experiment? Are you having fun yet?"

"Scarecrow," the psychiatrist muttered before tackling Jackson. Jonathan's greedy hands snatched the blade from Jackson.

"No!" screamed Lisa, launching herself into the fray. She landed beside Jackson in time to hear a gunshot ring out.

The knife clattered to the floor. Jonathan was clawing at his stomach, his fingers soaked in his own blood. Jackson gathered up the knife as he smiled darkly at Jonathan, began to slowly stab his brother viciously throughout his body. Jonathan was losing blood rapidly and was unable to fight off Jackson's torturous efforts.

Lisa was immobile on the floor as she could not help but listen to Jackson torment his twin and hearing Jonathan's pain-filled moans in response for the first time. It was sweet, sweet payback and final revenge for all the years she suffered under Jonathan's reign of terror.

"No one hurts them," Jackson swore. "Got it?"

Eventually, Jackson knelt by Lisa's side and gently gathered her into his arms, still covered in Jonathan's blood. Picking up his knife, he severed the ropes free from her wrists. "It's done, Lisa. He won't harm anyone ever again."

_Is it really over? Will he ever truly be gone? Can I actually pick up the pieces of my life and start over? _

**Author's Notes:**

That's the last chapter! Woo! Now all I have to do is write the epilogue which will be up shortly. Major thanks to **emptyvoices **for all of her help and to everyone who has reviewed!


	22. Epilogue

**Never…**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything related to _Red Eye_ or _Batman Begins_!

**Epilogue**

Jonathan Crane was finally dead. His funeral was a time for rejoicing throughout Gotham.

Bruce was pleased to learn that Amy Crane was alive as well as Lisa Crane. He had been rather shocked when the 'dead' Jackson Rippner wandered into Wayne Manor with an unconscious Amy and a shaking Lisa. Jackson had retold the events of the day and concluded with Jonathan's death. Lisa had received the antidote and Amy remained in a recuperative sleep for another day.

Jim Gordon and Rachel Dawes were able to nail the now deceased psychiatrist for his many crimes due to testimony from Jackson, Lisa, and Amy Rippner.

As Gordon dug into the late Dr. Crane's affairs, he discovered that Lisa and Jonathan had never been married. Jonathan had falsified documents that said they were, but for the past sixteen years, Lisa Crane had in fact been none other than Lisa Rippner. She was still married to Jackson.

Amy and Lisa slowly recovered from their traumas with the help of intensive therapy and Jackson's never-ending support. The Rippners moved back to Miami and into a new house a few doors down from Joe's. There were far too many memories in their old house for them to move back.

Betsey Gruber came forward with all of her knowledge about Jonathan's actives and also apologized to the Rippners for her part in the entire plot. She also mentioned the on-going affair between her and Jonathan.

Lisa forgave her, but Amy refused. The scarred teenager had withdrawn more as time went on. The only person that she shared everything with was her father, who she had grown closer to with each passing day. Jackson had in turn become extremely possessive of his daughter and protective of Lisa.

Tragedy had torn them apart and now it had brought them back together and they were working at rebuilding their shattered lives. Each day that dawned was brighter and a step farther away from the past.

**Author's Notes:**

The end! Thanks for reading and reviewing! Enjoy!


End file.
